Since the keynote the internet has basically been in an uproar about how expensive the XS (particularly the XS Max) is, but what did people expect? Apple wasn't going to lower the price of the XS to slot the Max in at last year's X pricing. And the reason for that is because Apple has the XR to appease the less savvy consumer segment that wants cheaper phones that are still modern. Yes the iPhone XS and XS Max are very expensive, but so are the Pixel 2 XL (soon be succeeded by the Pixel 3), Note 9, P20 Pro, etc. These are FLAGSHIP phones, and therefore come with a premium price attached to them. Can you get an equally specced LCD 4K TV for less than half the cost of a flagship OLED from LG or Sony? Hell yeah. But you're sacrificing a bit on fit and finish, panel quality, and "wow" factor.
TLDR: If you think $1000+ is too much to spend on a flagship phone, don't buy the flagship model. The XR will suit 98% of the market just perfectly, and it will be up for preorder in just over 4 weeks.
TLDR: If you think $1000+ is too much to spend on a flagship phone, don't buy the flagship model. The XR will suit 98% of the market just perfectly, and it will be up for preorder in just over 4 weeks.