Well of course they'd see the difference, but that's not the same as the difference being meaningful to them (which, for the aforementioned mega boomer who only makes calls, it might not be). Such a person certainly wouldn't notice the increased refresh rate lol

As for your main point, I'm not sure I see the relevance? The vast majority of people don't upgrade their phone every year, and most who do are enthusiasts who care about the lil differences, or very wealthy people who don't care about the money and just automatically get the newest one when it comes out because why not.