I don't actually want that, though, as a user. Apple has my payment info, so I don't need to share it with however many entities. They're a known entity that I reasonably trust to prevent malware making it onto my phone. I only need to go to one place to find apps for the platform.

I like the App Store model. I understand that it presents problems for developers, and while I sympathize, I ultimately don't care about how it affects them enough to give up what I perceive as the benefits of the current system.

Then don’t use apps that are outside of the App Store.

I also use an iPhone. I would simply not use an app if it’s on a store that’s painful to maintain.