Certain parts of App Store policy are the result of this sort of thing. For example there is a carve out for media services-- unlike the rest of the app ecosystem, it is OK for subscriber only media services to have an app that requires login to use it. This was a result of Netflix refusing to use IAP.
If you didn't know, it is otherwise not allowed to have a login only experience. You can't even require users to sign up for an account before a user purchases an IAP product or subscription, let alone require a signup before the app is used.
While this is a pro consumer move, it does mean headaches for any user that purchases a subscription without attaching an email address and then expects the app's customer support to be able to identify their subscription. It also confuses users because they'll say they're emailing on the same email as their Apple account, but that doesn't help because a subscription purchase doesn't come with the user's email.
But I do fall more on the side of your opinion after spending 5 years managing these sorts of systems and working with the support team.
> “Apple has an established program for premium subscription video entertainment providers to offer a variety of customer benefits — including integration with the Apple TV app, AirPlay 2 support, tvOS apps, universal search, Siri support and, where applicable, single or zero sign-on,” Apple said in a statement given to The Verge. “On qualifying premium video entertainment apps such as Prime Video, Atlice One and Canal+, customers have the option to buy or rent movies and TV shows using the payment method tied to their existing video subscription.” https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/1/21203294/amazon-prime-vide...
If Spotify for example left iOS devices all it would do is drive up Apple Music subscriptions. Very, very few people would switch operating systems for a single app.
The average joe doesn't even think about app availability when picking a phone.
At most I'd say theres likely some grey area about managing 3rd party subscriptions that arent being done via the app store.
If Spotify and Netflix were not on iOS I’m pretty sure lots of people would go look for an android. Not everyone, but a percentage above 0 (and probably above 2 or 3 percent I bet)
Is it? I know that it has happened in the past, but in 2020, Tim Cook testified to Congress that they treat everybody equally. Is there any evidence showing that they still offer special deals today?