I don't think there is much profit in hardware, most companies seem to work on razor thin margins.
Consider that Apple is America's most profitable corporation. They do squeeze people with software restrictions; and it is a core part of their strategy. But the focus of Apple has never been 'our software is rare', it has always been 'faster processor, thinner phone, better screen'. The artificial restrictions on the software aren't at all beneficial to the software or the programmers; they are part of a strategy to make the hardware more valuable. It is a strategic element to help their hardware resist the commodification of smartphones.
If they had inferior hardware then the restricted software strategy would see them crushed under the booted heal of groups like Samsung.
Well no, if it is hard to get software written people just won't bother. Most programmers will benefit from a commoditise-the-complement strategy where everyone is using software and need to hire programmers to tweak it to their exact needs.
The money is in support & hardware. Trying to primarily compete on software price is pretty risky; Open Source is quite competitive. The big paying companies in software (Googles, etc, of the world) don't particularly leverage IP law in their strategies. Even with players like Microsoft, artificial scarcity of their traditional primary products (Windows, Office) would be the kiss of death to the company.