You can update it if you want to.  All it takes is the threaded adaptor which screws into the filter housing.  The new filter is a different thread then the old one.  New one is supposedly better for the longer change intervals approved on later model equipment. 

Don't believe everything a mechanic tells you.  You may find this hard to believe, but they aren't usually privy to the  cost structure of the dealership, let alone the parent company.