I don't object on consumer price. Most IoT stuff is priced at "can't possibly be any good".

My concern with requiring a specific hardware solution was that it leaves you utterly at the mercy of Apple; if you get rejected by their program (which they do quite capriciously with apps) then you're completely sunk by having committed to an Apple-specific expense. Allowing a software security solution lets people justify a good product by appealing to Apple without being quite as beholden to their opaque decision making.