Why is consistency regarded as a bad thing? Why is it that iOS is consistent, looks the same between devices and acts the same a bad thing? For the masses, consistency is important, and having a new device that acts drastically different is a huge detraction along with requiring people to learn.
The majority of people cannot use a computer (in fact, nearly everyone actually cannot actually use a computer, they just know 2 or 3 tasks). Expecting them to adapt to change every year is insane. Look at the backlash towards Win 8.
People struggle to adapt to new paradigms and new behaviours until they intimately understand them, and most computer users don't understand anything they do. They just know the actions that get them where they want, no matter how many "OK, Send CC details to China" buttons they need to press.
The fact that every Android lover goes "OMG iOS IS BORING" should actually be regarded as a wonderful thing for iOS, because it means the UI is consistent. Using an operating system should hold no surprises, and Android fails extremely hard on that front.