I don't think the cost per square foot comes off as expensive at all. Figure about 0.46 psf. If you're printing cell phone cases on an LEF-12. You can get 8 cases per bed. The bed is 1 square foot. That's also based on full coverage. So you're using LESS than $0.46 to print one bed. I don't think that's unreasonable at all.
I have done extensive testing on remote control devices and hard plastics and when tested against the Mimaki, Direct and Pad Printing the Roland LEF beat them all in durability testing. I have results tested out by a large distributor of these products. They would print the surface with no primers, hand test them for 3 minutes, wipe them down with 409 cleaner and wipe them dry 20 times, let them sit in a room of 85% humidity for 3 hours and repeat the cycle. Roland outlasted the competition.
It's a solid unit.