The main issue to me seems to be sideloading apps, playstore apps seem to be protected. Sideloaded apps could be anything since its the app key that is compromised.
I think you could phrase that better. Sideloading apps is not an "issue", it's an incredibly important tool that developers can use to audit the behavior of apps.
With the continuing security problems, it is increasingly being proven out that Apple got the app ecosystem right, from the get-go, with their walled garden approach. The benefits of such vastly outweigh the costs to a few tinkerers (and malicious actors) when you're building a product for the average bear.
that is the worst idea I have heard in a long time. what happens to developers, like me, that cannot afford a "paid developer account"? and whats to stop Google (or Apple) from raising the fee so high that it prices out important people from the process?
I think this is confusingly phrased and the replies relate to that confusion.
A free Apple developer account allows 'sideloading' for a limited time, currently a week IIRC, and a paid account extends this to a year, which is technically limited but probably not what most people would understand by the phrase.
If you do have a developer account, your device only has to connect to your home WiFi network once a year for your computer to keep the app authorized.