Data validation lists are better than ever. The list will now automatically reduce to match what you have typed into the cell. This wasn’t the case for so long in Excel, but has been standard in forms on the internet for ages. It was possible to create a drop down box that did it, but it was complex, so it is great that it is now a standard feature.
It is a good example of an update to Excel that takes something that was possible but difficult, and makes it standard.
This means that even long lists are now easy to use, with a few key strokes the list reduces and you can easily choose the item you want. No more scrolling through a long list to get to the item that you want.
Another reason to use Data Validation! Learn more about data validation here.