indeed; for those who may not be familiar, see 'behavioral economics' [0] for the ways that known quirks in human reasoning can be used to game consumers. don't buy a house without learning about it.

there are two great books I recommend for those interested: predictably irrational [1] and the upside of irrationality [2]. personally, I think the first is better than the second as a layman's introduction to it.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_economics

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expand...

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Irrationality-Unexpected-Benef...

As an extension, I suspect that the extreme initial price reports (base model iPhone X at $1300 at one point?) are another form of anchoring. Apple is likely intentionally desensitizing people to the price.