> I believe that if sideloading was feasible for iOS, many developers (and certainly the big players) would pull out of the App Store completely.
Why do you believe that, when it hasn't happened with the only other comparable platform after years and years of supporting this model?
Windows and Mac are not comparable, as people are not as used to their respective stores, and lots of pre-existing software actually has to go out of its way to integrate with the store, instead of the other way around.
Largely because Apple's restrictions seem to be much stricter than any other store, and lately are rubbing a lot of very big companies the wrong way.
Were sideloading permitted I could see, for example, an Epic App Store, with their 12% cut and lessened restriction on external payment processing, being a popular place for apps to move to.
Why do you believe that, when it hasn't happened with the only other comparable platform after years and years of supporting this model?
Windows and Mac are not comparable, as people are not as used to their respective stores, and lots of pre-existing software actually has to go out of its way to integrate with the store, instead of the other way around.