Is it? I can’t picture a real situation where other devices would prefer connecting to mine, running down its battery, instead of directly to the wifi it’s broadcasting.
Besides, at least where I live, 5G/4G is often faster than shared wifi. I’d be surprised if this is used by more than 0.1% of all users.
The situation is almost always “weird networking.” A WiFi hotspot too new for a device you have. Captive authentication you can’t solve on your e-reader (this was the case for me at college). Or, as I’m using one right now, as a simple booster (with a battery plugged in).
Given that this has been available on Android for years, I do not consider it an overly difficult feature for Apple
to implement.
Besides, at least where I live, 5G/4G is often faster than shared wifi. I’d be surprised if this is used by more than 0.1% of all users.