What happens with a decoupled App Store?

Out of this will spring a cornucopia of component libraries, adapters, intermediary services, and consultancies that trade on the false promise of ‘one implementation, many stores, zero cost’. Some will get close, but will all fall foul of the lowest common denominator and not deliver on those promises. Consumers will suffer, and a cottage industry will bloom in an attempt to keep it all running.

What happens with a decoupled App Store? — Thoughts, Ruminations, & Pontifications

The prevailing winds suggest that the industry desired the existing walled garden stores to be opened to all, allowing a new golden age of pollination & evaluation in the plants in those gardens. Politicians, press, and the people seem to agree that something should be done.

Enthusiasts are going to be clamouring for no-restrictions, let-me-distribute-anything free-for-all to solve their subconscious needs to tinker. (With a side dollop of political freedom)

FAAMG will demand they can access privileged components and remove restrictions that harm their business today, irrespective of what might be best for the consumers.

Government entities will seek to support regulatory capture and ostensibly supporting free markets or consumer protection (depending on country & political ideology a heavy seasoning of censorship should be expected).

But the question is — do we really need more than one garden? Maybe we just need the garden to be slightly more accessible to everyone in the community.

This is a cynical take on the crack of the App Stores because of EU regulation. I am more optimistic that while there will be some issues initially, in the long term, it will be beneficial.