This mechanism is often used to differentiate product tiers without changing the manufacturing process. A manufacturer might produce 10,000 units of the C1AA, selling 8,000 as the standard model and 2,000 as a "Pro" or "Limited" model. The physical difference might be negligible, but the exclusive firmware transforms the latter into a superior device. While this benefits the manufacturer by streamlining supply chains, it creates a fragmented user base. Two users possessing the exact same physical hardware may have vastly different experiences based solely on their firmware entitlement.