That's not totally true. Iphone 7/7 Plus to X was a HUGE HUGE upgrade. Complete shift away from Touch ID and big forehead and chin around an LCD to all display OLED
I wouldnt expect that again 3 years later. I do expect some progression of technology though. We have the same notch as that 2017 iphone and same screen refresh rate. If Apple, worth over $1.9 trillion, cant shrink the notch even few millimeters in 4 model years, what does that say about the tech or future with it? To me that says its a dead end/stopgap technology; unless cameras get under display, which isnt happening in the next year or 2 even. That tech has been tried and has many issues still to work out.
I dont know of one company that has stuck with facial recognition tech- Google and Huawei both abandoned it (and Samsung although that wasnt 3D scanning) I just dont think the tradeoffs to design with all of the extra sensors needed were worth it to them.
There is PLENTY they could do to make a "non-boring" update that other companies seem to have figured out in even less expensive devices. If the rumors are true I truly think Apple is banking on people upgrading "because Apple" this year. Slapping 5G and LIDAR (both questionable useful function right now) isnt impressive at all with the usually incremental spec bump and camera quality bump.
That's unfortunate too. As per above, Samsung is REALLY bringing the heat no matter how much I have mocked them in the past (those stupid Applebashing ads) if you want a flagship. The S20/Note 20 line is really good this year and has every option available. And there are a ton of mid-rangers that offer a lot of what the iPhone does (maybe not raw horsepower but does having a Geekbench over a laptop mean anything really?) plus some like tiny hole punch, 90/120hz, 5G, etc. for 1/2-2/3 the price
And no this isnt an anti-Apple rant. More of a disappointment story after using iphones since the 3GS upgrading yearly. But its getting a bit old seeing people pass Apply by advancing technology and for less money.