It Was Apple’s Idea Originally
Back in 2013, Apple stirred up its usual smartphone strategy and released two devices: the iPhone 5s and the lower-cost iPhone 5c. Both were thoroughly modern smartphones at the time, only the cheaper of the two made some minor compromises and swapped out premium materials for a lower-cost case. Sound familiar?
The Pixel 3a is basically Google’s answer to the 5c, just five years later. But Apple set a precedent back then and it can do it again. Just look at the surprising success of and continued demand for the iPhone SE when it launched. A successor to the iPhone SE that was purposely redesigned (instead of being an afterthought) is basically exactly what Apple needs for the iPhone to stay competitive in the foreseeable future.