You can get a darn decent Android for 200$ unlocked, and if your really struggling a 50$ phone will get the job done.
No one will suffer if they can't get an iPhone.
A lot of folks also can't do math. I pay about $20 a month for my phone plan, and I paid $700 for my phone up front. AT&t isn't giving phones away, you end up on a more expensive plan that's around $80 or so and then they'll tack on 30 bucks for the phone.
If you're lucky the bill credits will cover the entire cost of the phone, but over two years you've still spent an addition 700$.
Carriers will just make people sign two-year contracts at a guaranteed rate, plus an early exit fee. This is how all kinds of predatory scams work; the carriers will do just fine and low-income people will continue to get the newest iPhone.
Currently the most used phones in the US are iphones.
If the actual cost is not hidden behind monthly payments anymore, but some users can not afford iphones, people might start to consider cheaper phone options.