The meme they’re satirizing directly, this one here, was comparing an $800 iPhone 16 with a $1300 Xperia 1 iii from three years ago.

It was pointed out several times that a few of the specs listed were things available on the iPhone 13 Pro, for a similar price point, also in 2021.

Comparing an older, more expensive thing to a newer, cheaper thing and claiming the newer cheaper thing users are missing out is disingenuous.

But of course the whole thing is stupid. People should just buy the phone they want that meets their needs and their wallets. My suspicion is that this type of behavior is the same as it was during the console wars: deep down people are insecure about their decisions and so they mock the decisions of others.