> but for those with no idea it usually ends up reinforcing bitterness towards it as they feel annoyed that their own hardware is somehow worse

I don't think "those with no idea" spend much time thinking about their hardware at all. They respond to marketing and peer-pressure influences, but most of them are not upgrading phones or laptops because they can't run AI on it.

Most people I know have been wanting upgrade cycles to slow down for quite some time, now. I think that those people will survive deferred retail therapy for a few years.