Camera quality actually topped out a decade ago or so, and now it's become all post-processing trends that define "best".

Not unlike the "Best jacket of the season" being the one that is most fashionable as opposed to the most functional.

This is not even close to true. I took a bunch of photos side by side with the iphone 13 pro and the 17 pro. The 17 pro was unmistakably much better, particularly on the telephoto, it wasn't even close. There was a very clear improvement in detail and sharpness, and not in a crunchy post processing way, the sensor is simply larger and higher resolution.

Now I think all the iphone cameras still suck compared to an actual camera, but the improvement over the last 10 years has been dramatic.

soon we'll have a like amount predictor connected with your personal assistant talking with your social media

You say that, but I've bought the non-pro iphones the last few generations (13, 15 currently) and consistently wanted a better camera, so this upgrade cycle I'll probably shell out for the 18 pro.