Keep in mind that Zorin OS 17 is based on Ubuntu 22.04, and the applications are offered from those repositories. These are still maintained and supported, though.
Flatpak is a great thing to have, but certainly not as the default option. It creates far more problems than its worth. Browse the forum for a while and you'll see plenty of cases of this.
It's not rare to see people complaining about version numbers once they've figured out that their favorite app has released a new version, and they cannot have it. It gets really interesting when you check the change log for that latest update and see there are only minor bug fixes or translations... That's just FOMO at its finest.
You also see cases where people ask for genuinely meaningful updates that introduce newer features or bug fixes. I think that's when Flatpak can fill the gap and save the day.
A similar thread on the topic, for reference: