You say this as if things like variable speed compressors, multiple compressor stages, and designs other than the generic mostly empty box with an open vertical fan on top don’t exist for air conditioners as well.

Your previous air conditioner was designed for its intended purpose. Based on your description it almost certainly didn’t have the hardware to function as a heat pump, so being inoperable during a snowy winter wasn’t an issue, given it’s designed use. On the other end, it was the house I’m in has had three air conditioning units over its lifetime. None of them were an open vertical design like that, and I’m in AZ where snow is irrelevant.

You’re talking about equipment designed for the intended use case of cold weather that takes environmental aspects like snow accumulation into account for its design instead of ignoring it, and acting like that is some sort of new technology. It’s just better designed and not just the cheapest shit they can get people to buy. Whoever bought an exposed air conditioning unit like that in an area with regular snow was an idiot that clearly did zero research.