I don't get what your problem is. Nobody is forcing you to use alternative app stores on iOS. Just stick to the official Apple one and nothing will change for you. Why do you wish a worse experience on others when you're not impacted by the new changes?
For example I would love to use Apple, IF, they were more open and less hostile. So they're loosing potential customers by being stuck-up and stubborn.
The fear is that we will be impacted. E.g. Whatsapp is required to meaningfully engage with many social activities and communities in Europe. If Whatsapp decides to switch entirely to an alternative app store, I have no choice but to follow. And as a result, I'm no longer protected by the Apple app store's security measures (feeble as they may be.)
Android allows sideloading since forever and nothing like that ever happened there. There's no Whatsapp app store. Actually very very few Android users (mostly techies and enthusiasts) use any alternative app store. The vast majority only use the Google Play Store.
So why would you automatically assume the sky will be falling on iOS the moment that happens wen there's no proof to draw such conclusions? Why not wait and see what happens before panicking just because of apple's scaremongering tactics to protect their cash cow?
> Android allows sideloading since forever and nothing like that ever happened there.
That's because developers don't care about android. There's not enough money to push an alternative App Store for the amount of work it takes.
Now that apple was forced to do it, now consumers are pretty much screwed if they want to use an app and care about privacy.
Just like when Apple opened up payments, it was never about "consumer freedom", it was "corporate freedom" to make it as hard as possible to cancel your subscription" and "corporate freedom" to profile your subscriptions to sell you more.
Just like how opening up wallet will just end in making banks richer and the user experience worse. Do you people actually think these poor multinational banks needed the government to help them because they couldn't compete? Man you are gullible.
Android users spend very little on apps, iOS users spend more, that’s why iPhones get better quality software first, with better features and performance. Google’s own apps run better on iphones than on most android phones.
There are plenty of iOS only apps most people would switch for, but Android is the phone people buy if they can’t afford an iPhone.
There’s a reason iphone penetration rises with discretionary income.
case in point: there was no Epic Games Store until it was allowed on iOS. Do you honestly think tthe market cares about android at all?
Apple does a lot of things right, for better or worse.
Want copy paste? It’s consistent across the whole system because you have one choice. You don’t have to guess how the pop up is going to work beyond context. Other more open platforms get messy and fragmented hoping the developer chose a good implementation.
Want encrypted messaging? Easy, just talk to other iPhones. Want less infection risk? Live in Apple’s walled garden. I get less calls from grandparents asking for iOS assistance than Android, the interface is more intuitively laid out.
Have years of apps purchased with no way to transfer without paying again? You’re probably not switching.
I'm pretty sure I have a consistent copy/paste experience on my Fedora laptop, despite it being "open". Do you have examples of a "fragmented experience"?
> I get less calls from grandparents asking for iOS assistance than Android, the interface is more intuitively laid out.
I'm trying to think of a time that either my parents or grandparents called for support on Android. On iOS I've had plenty of questions posed, though usually because Apple don't want people to get WhatsApp notifications, for example.
Android is a good example. Open a few different apps an note the pop up diffeences base on whatever API was used.
The biggest questions were widgets and audio issues. Apps they couldn’t find etc. I’m not advocating for Apple, but their system does have a few advantages that open source projects could take cues from.
AFAIK the DMA specifically allows this to protect the operating system, so Apple is always going to be involved in the process to ensure basic security.
Whether you agree with that or take Apple’s word on what is a valid security concern is up for debate
I do hope that EU will push harder and we will be able to install anything we want (even alternative stores) without blessing from greedy mega-corp...