I find it disappointing 8GB is still the base RAM. Apple usually supports Macs for ~7 years, so are they really planning to support 8GB of RAM in 2030? 8GB was the base RAM included on the 2012 MacBook Pro, 11 years later and it's the same. The MacBook Air has had 8GB standard since 2016.
12GB should be standard in 2023. There really is no excuse.
Apple seems to be focused more on efficiency. They are stating up to 22 hours of battery life on the new MacBooks.
I think the reality is, since the M1 these machines are so fast that 99% of users don't need any more performance. Until there is something new in computing that requires more performance, we really don't need faster CPU's.