You would not have purchased two standard 14 and 14 pro max’s every year, this is the first time the 14 will have come out lol, however on another note, I don’t get why people buy a new phone every year, does the minor margin of an upgrade really improve your life so much? If so there is something wrong. bet If you did side by side blind tests you would not tell the difference between iPhone 12 and 13 in real life.
Have you considered "they just want to" as an option?
I buy a lot of shoes and handbags. I don't wait for them to break down or whatever. I just buy them if I want to.
I'm not over here hungry and homeless so why can't I buy whatever I feel like buying? Also, selling or trading one's prior iPhone does give the resell market a boost for people who prefer to get stuff at a deep discount.