For example, F-Droid in particular is very good at protecting users.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/8/22272849/apple-app-store-s...
The vast majority of software on F-Droid is My First Android App garbage, usually doesn't follow any common best practices for UI/UX on Android, is extremely specific (like a door-opening app for a hackerspace in Germany) or all of the above.
I don't see how you could possibly compare them with a straight face.
The one or two times I've found an app on Apple's app store to not be up to snuff, getting a refund was completely painless and Apple is known for being pretty liberal about refunds, because I think both they and app developers realize that a smooth exit for an unhappy app customer is the best for everyone involved.
The paid apps I've bought on iOS have been miles better than Android apps, too. I was shocked to discover that an excellent Solitare program I used on an original iPhone is still kicking around getting regular updates from its developer. It shows one ad, briefly, after a game win (I think it doesn't even show an ad after a game loss.)
Most of the stuff I bought on Android? The dev abandoned it within a year or two, and then it broke not long after...
And thank goodness for that. If I just want an app to strip EXIF data and crop+resize, the relevant F-Droid app will be that, and just that, and will simply have a button front and center to do the things, and not hide crap behind whatever fancy multiple-taps nested menu indistinguishable-from-background options are the latest Google-driven UX fad. And as a bonus, it'll usually be smaller and lacking the analytics and ads and nagging subscription features that infest so many comparative "useful" apps on the play store.
2 notes: - the google playstore is even worse to find something and much more misleading. Hey you can't even sort out apps that include ads. - You usually get the necessary info quickly even though it might take an additionnal step. The project repo/website is always mentioned, you can consult it.
But yes regardless of the store, sometimes it is faster to check for an app and eventually install it using a regular search engine and follow the "playstore/f-droid/iOS/direct apk link".
Regarding the regulatory changes, I'd be happy with one of two things:
A) Governments impose restrictions on third party developers that are largely similar to the consumer protection standards that Apple has imposed on developers, while opening up alternative payment platforms.
B) Governments impose restrictions on Apple to prevent Apple from preying on their customers.
However, governments are going down the path of removing whatever protections the App Store provided consumers, without replacing those protections with any other pro-consumer regulation. This is the absolute worst case scenario for me. We've seen time and time again how developers will prey on their users, particularly with subscriptions.
As others pointed out, that's actually not true as far as the new EU regulation on the matter is concerned: it attempts to maintain principles that help users while removing monopolistic practices and abuses by gatekeepers.
In any case, even if governments were to ban certain behaviours without mandating replacements, the responsibility for such outcome lies very plainly with the handful of giant platform vendors who strenuously refused to work with competition authorities in good faith - preferring instead to defend their monopolistic abuses to the last day - with Apple being the worst of the lot.
I think EU governments have actually been really good at that.
The two year mandatory warranty for everything comes to mind, as do regulations that require business to be truthful about price in listings and not add a bunch of fees just before checkout (Airbnb is a lot less frustrating in the EU, for example).
There's also the mandatory 14 day cooling period during which you are entitled to return anything bought online for a full refund and a whole bunch more: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/consumer_laws...
I wouldn’t be surprised if users are simply forced to use some external service that has a much worse user experience and ultimately the consumer suffers.
However, the "attack surface" would be much bigger, given that consumers spend far more time on their smartphones than on PCs.
0: https://nypost.com/2019/11/06/tinder-owners-stock-tumbles-af...
Ideally governments, and not Apple, would be regulating away this predatory behaviour, but I don't view that as a realistic prospect. Governments have never been great at regulating away anti-consumer behaviour.