Apple’s fight against iPhone sideloading was pointless at best, harmful at worst

If Apple had very quietly allowed sideloading a few years ago, that would have removed the antitrust threat - while the overwhelming majority of iPhone owners would have continued to get their apps from the App Store, just as they always have. The percentage of iPhone owners who will ever sideload an app is vanishingly small, so Apple has spent a lot of time and energy fighting a battle that is completely pointless

Worse, by fighting the issue so loudly and for so long, Apple has actually given the issue way more publicity than it would ever have received otherwise. It has turned what would otherwise have been a boring technical detail covered only by the Apple press into a mass-media news story. Apple has effectively contributed to its portrayal as a bad guy, with zero benefit to the company.

Right on the money - and I'm glad it has transpired this way. I doubt we'd ever have gotten this far without Apple continuously trying to stop it.