The reason this is happening is because the cost of DRAM is ballooning the prices of all electronics and they are fully aware that people can’t pay the new higher prices even if they wanted to. Lower monthly payments is the difference between whether a lot of people buy an Apple or Samsung device at all.

I wouldn’t call this move nefarious on its own, but it is a dystopian side affect of the real problem which is DRAM price gauging.