Now that the developers on the core part don't need to spend time on compatibility -- or, just dont want have to make the base choice of being a runtime dependency -- they can spend time on other things instead.
This seems like a net negative at a glance, on the surface it means the apps are less compatible, so the second level is forced onto the older iterations, in practice, since each iteration has to worry about a lot less, the older iterations are _also_ a lot better instead.
It is of no surprise to me these Apple or Apple-like systems tend to be better overall, as opposed to the other philosophy of Android.
It leaks into all the levels. In the Java app, it is usual to see a deprecated warning that keeps working and it is maintained, and someone pays for that. The negative side is that there's no reason to get rid of the said dependency, either.
My point is that lowering the maintenance cost of _any_ app or systems in general, leaves room for improvement in all the other areas, as long as you don't fall behind -- if you are allowed to fall behind, you can afford to, if not, the end result is better given enough time.