Yes I think of it as an investment vs. a currency. For example I may also sell TSLA stock to buy a house but not to buy groceries if I think it still has lots of room to run.
As far as I know no one is arguing that platinum is a future global currency, or letting customers buy products with it. Both are increasingly true for Bitcoin.
I meant if you are in fact subjectively getting a better product for your money then it's worth it. This could mean different things to different people like longer battery life, higher quality camera, etc.
More expensive products are certainly not always superior and in many cases just the opposite.
Perhaps my experience is atypical in that I"m yet to lose or break an iPhone; I get a new one every two years and have my last four in a drawer (you're right I should probably have sold them).