Why do consumers care that their phone has quad core gpus or whatever when Apple tells them a simple story about how the device is supposed to fit into and improve their lives? Technology is just a means to an end.
iPods do video? No-one wants their iPod to do video... [pause] One more thing... iPod now does video
Single core, dual core? No-one cares, it's about the experience... [pause] One more thing... the 4S is now dual core!
because not everyone buys Apple's stories.
And Apple talks about Specifications all the time. If they have a lower resolution screen than the competition, they don't talk about it. But as soon as they manage to ship a competitive high resolution screen themselves, they make it the center of their complete ad campaign.