The top smartphones from Apple and Samsung have gotten way too expensive, but I'm OK with it for one key reason

Alongside the $1,000 iPhone X, Apple also released the $700 iPhone 8.

At the end of the day, the iPhone X was just one option — albeit a new, "super luxury" option.

Much of the attention went toward the iPhone X, as it sported a new design and features. The iPhone 8, on the other hand, wasn't as appealing. The iPhone 8 had the same powerful chips and performance as the iPhone X, and it still offered the excellent iOS experience. But the iPhone 6-style design from 2014 was tired, and people were clamoring for something new.

Still, you now had the options of a more-or-less reasonably priced phone and a "super luxury" phone with an unprecedented starting price of $1,000.

With the available options in mind, it's totally fine that Apple charged $1,000 for the iPhone X. No one forced people to buy the $1,000 iPhone X, and the option to get something less expensive was there.

And there are nine very good reasons to get the iPhone 8 over the iPhone X, too.

A year after the iPhone X, and Apple released another $1,000 model — the iPhone XS.

But, again, Apple still offered something cheaper — the $750 iPhone XR. And it's the model we'd recommend for most people, even over the iPhone XS. See for yourself: Here are nine reasons you should consider the iPhone XR over the iPhone XS.

To be sure, there are some reasons to buy the iPhone XS over the iPhone XR, too.

Samsung didn't introduce a "super luxury" smartphone like the iPhone X until the 2019 Galaxy S10, which has a starting price of $900.

Previously, Galaxy S phones also used to cost between $650 and $750.

There are 13 good reasons why you should consider the Galaxy S10e over the Galaxy S10.

Of course, there are also a few good reasons to get the S10 over the S10e, so check for yourself to see if the extra $150 is worth it.

Technically, it's true that "cheaper" phones like the $750 iPhone XR and $750 Galaxy S10e aren't as good. They don't quite have the ultra-luxury design that the ultra-premium flagships have, and they're missing a couple features, too.

Realistically, however, those "cheaper" versions of the premium flagships are fantastic, and offer far greater value. They come with the same chips and performance as the $1,000 models, and they also have a vast majority of the important features, too.

Don't discredit the "cheaper" versions of the premium flagships just because they cost less — they're only about a hair away from being just as good as the super-expensive models, and the price difference is much wider than a hair.

Smartphone makers have every right to make devices that cost $1,000. But top-of-the-line premium flagship smartphones that cost around $1,000 are only options — they're not "must-haves."

As long as smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung make "cheaper" versions of their premium flagships, I'm failing to see any issues. And I can guarantee that "cheaper" models, like the iPhone XR and Galaxy S10e, are truly worth your consideration over the $1,000 iPhone XS and $900 Galaxy S10.