It’s not 2k at all. Last year’s 256G model, which is what I have, is 799 on Amazon, against 999 of the S23 ultra with the same spec. This year’s 1 V is 1399 on Amazon, which was the launhc price of the 1IV last year. I presume the S24 flagship will launch at about that price, too.

So yeah, it’s a flagship priced like a flagship.

The “niche phone” angle is the reviewer angle, I suppose, because they review phones like fashion accessories. My take on it was yeah, it’s the flagship most directly designed for photo enthusiasts who like manual settings and the Sony software. The features I want (swappable storage, wired headsets, front-facing stereo speakers, no notches or punch-holes) are all a side effect of making it a great phone for photographers. I don’t use the hardcore photo stuff, but the design choices made for that reason all suit me just fine.

Like I said, the only things I miss are Samsung’s great second screen support through Dex and the reassurance that point-and-click photography will get AI’d to death into something watchable no matter what. But the tradeoff is more than acceptable. I am genuinely very pleased with it. Some people reported heating issues with last year’s model, but I never hit those and they seem to be better this year.