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Is that not possible with ios applications?

You can't sideload iOS applications. Meaning there's no point to doing any of the listed things.

Of course you can. How do you think developers test their apps?

Normal people can't. I'd bet more people run jailbroken than bothering with developer-mode sideload.

Never did iOS development. I always assumed it requires active USB connection with a dev machine or an emulator.

You technically can sideload. For 7 days or on TestFlight

This is not a practical way for installing apps though.