The official app store will surely have 99.9%+ market share, just like the Play Store does on Android. Not many companies will want to give up 99.9% of their total addressable market. And Google has the same sort of review process Apple does. Are there any examples of critical software that users depend on only being released in a way that circumvents Google's safety mechanisms?

The Google Play store does not have 99.9% market share on Android phones because the Play Store is not available in China.

> Are there any examples of critical software that users depend on only being released in a way that circumvents Google's safety mechanisms?

Chinese Android phones are riddled with spyware.

https://gizmodo.com/android-xiamoi-oneplus-phones-personal-i...

I see a direct cause and effect relationship there. So to avoid the same outcome, you'll just need to buy your phone in a country where Apple makes the App Store available. That seems reasonable to me.

I don't think there's a danger Apple will discontinue the App Store in any region as a result of these rulings.

> . Is that fear unfounded?

Yes, either they have a strong sandbox model or they don't and the appstore won't help either way.

> What prevents this from becoming the case?

Same as in real life, you can buy products at different supermarkets...

You prefer having to physically go to different stores to get the items you need?

If that avoids me paying a absurd markup because there's a supermarket monopoly, yes it's definitively preferable.

Most generic stores have everything though.