If the company is big enough (e.g. not using whatsapp is not an option for a lot of people), or if the app comes from a state that can force you to install it by law, yes it can be.

As opposed to Apple being big enough that they can bully developers into both building for their platform and distributing through the channels they christen?

Yes. All hail the walled garden, didn’t know it’s what I wanted but it is.

The PC is my playground, I want my phone to be rock solid and someone else to do the weeding there.

Don’t worry, you can bet Apple is going to make sideloading as awkward as possible within the bounds of the law. It’s not like Apple woke up one day and decided they don’t like money. It will only be useful for hobbyists.

Yes, I’ve come to trust apple and they protect their consumers privacy. I don’t have the same level of trust in other companies.

I'm saying that "[you can] simply just get apps from the official store" is not necessarily correct. I'm not making a value judgement about whether that's a good or a bad thing.

It is a good thing that mainstream users get their apps from somewhere that they've been reviewed by a third party. A world where sideloading from anywhere becomes a normal thing for mainstream users to do, is bad for privacy and security.

eg.: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2040/1924189728_668c4bc4e2.jpg

Users deserve freedom with their devices regardless whether you think they should have it.

The internet is valuable because it is open and free. Meanwhile the appstore complies with authoritarian regimes.

I disagree with the idea that an open internet somehow means that proprietary devices shouldn't be permitted to connect to it.