I'm an exception for sure but I have not seen much innovation in the phone space that you'd genuinely make me buy a new phone.
Yes, cameras are better now.
But some phones had good cameras years ago.
I bought new phones mainly because of battery decline and/or not getting security updates.
If one of these will be solved, that might change my phone buying behaviour.
I don't care whether a display is called "retina" , whether the next edition comes in the colour "space banana grey while lion tiger snail".
And I don't need to impress someone by proving that I'm able to buy a new phone either.
Such behaviour gives me a good hint what to think about them though.
A phone that will have the battery situation solved is a killer argument.
Then I'd like to have a software distribution on top that it's "mum compatible" and doesn't need nerd knowledge to maintain.
Something that allows to use banking apps.
Let's see how it goes.
Also I hope that there can be third party batteries without DRM-like behaviour.