Galaxy S9 Killer? The LG G7 ThinQ Can't Beat Last Year's Phones

Maybe I'm a little jaded on the hardware front, but everytime I see one of these articles it's comparing nominally different features the will almost always be beat by another phone within a few months.

Maybe it comes down to brand loyalty (I know I'll never but another LG after my last experience)? Or maybe what your carrier provides? But I'm really curious, with the current state of Android, if you're going to get a flagship phone, why wouldn't you opt for a Google brand phone so you can stay on top of the latest updates?

It's one thing if you just want a cheap phone, but if I drop big money on something, I want to know that I'm getting the latest updates. Especially when it comes to security on the device that has access to my most importantly information. I hear too many Android users complain about how their phone is two whole versions behind. Wake up! That's your carrier/manufacturer putting you at risk.