It still sounds far-fetched, but Apple’s grip on the App Store might not be permanent. With the pace of developer tooling, cross-platform engines, and web-native experiences, the concept of the ‘app store’ itself could start to feel outdated.

This latest move should be seen as a pressure release. If Apple tries to reassert control too aggressively, they’ll create the conditions for viable alternatives to grow. That kind of shift used to take decades. Now it could happen in years.