Thank you for proving the parent's point. The base model is insufficient for your use case.

You know Apple's base models have a history of being insufficient for your use-case and that upgrades are pricier than you'd like.

You see the cost of the base model and are upset when you find that you will need to spend more than that base cost to get the model you want.

Apple devices and upgrades are costly, without a doubt. But there is clearly a market for whom the price and capabilities of the base model is more than enough.