It’s a number of reasons. One I don’t see already mentioned is that Apple and Google require apps to target the latest versions of their OSs and libraries. For example Google released a new version of the Google Play Billing Services library. All apps were required to update to the newest version by mid August (you could request a two month extension). So to the end user it seems like nothing has changed. But under the hood the app is now using the latest apis. This could also apply to non-Google/Apple apis. Maybe a change of the developers own api was necessary.

Works great here with almost 100% coverage

Because there are two types of mac users:

• People that are buying them with their own money because they’re trendy and just using them as glorified Internet browsers. 16gb is plenty.
• People using them professionally so their company is paying and Apple can over charge for the necessary memory upgrade

It’s not even about profits. If companies don’t have to pay for expensive office buildings they can save money. It’s all the middle management realising their jobs are are unnecessary.