The problem is it's both structural and personal decisions though.

If you’ve recently become homeless, it’s very likely you still have an iPhone (and you better hold onto it).

The efficient decision would be to swap out into an Android phone of similar vintage and sell the iPhone. You’ll come out positive because iPhones hold value better.

Um, no. iPhones hold value for multiple reasons. One of which is they last longer.

>This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness

iPhones last five years until they go out of support and can no longer install or update most apps. An Android phone will last at least as much on OTA upgrades and OS support alone, and many of them can be made to last far longer once the OTA upgrades are up, by taking the time to unlock them and install the latest Android version they will run.

Maybe, but a homeless person may not have time for all that fiddling around

A homeless person has more time for that. Their time value is lower and so the gain they get from the difference in price between the Android and the iPhone is huge.

They don't care about security updates and all that shit. They don't care about new features. Just not an efficient use of money.

I have an iPad Pro and a MacBook Pro. I only just switched from an iPhone this year. I'm not anti-Apple. But the idea that low-wealth individuals should buy anything but an older Android is ridiculous. I can still use a Nexus 4. It still works.

Yep.. buying the iPhone is the better economic decision if you need a smart phone.

Why had you better hold onto it? Why not sell it and purchase a less-expensive phone and use the profit to improve your situation?

In my case, the systemic root cause was a lack of opportunity stemming from immigration status.