It would be interesting to see if that new company ventures into Android as well.

I don't own an iPhone, but would welcome a professional alternative to f-droid, and Google play on my phone. A well curated appstore would be the first thing I configure on "moms new samsung".

If the careful curation, the QA and "rent-seeking" of the Apple-app-store is truly as valuable as the users say it is, that store would be just as valuable on other phones than the iPhone, not?

I wonder if they do that, if they will be pressured into allowing competing stores too. Seems inevitable.

Let’s hope not.

Why don't you like that idea?

They wouldn't have any incentive not to

That's my nightmare scenario. I fear it'll be the end of the mac as we know it. What upside do you see?

What has the app store got with Mac laptops? And why would splitting into a different company end the laptops?

Because the mac division will become the lesser of the sister companies. Its best people will go with the more profitable divisions on the split. And it's not in great shape as it is. When its ROI turns out to be lower than that of the rest of the company, year after year, more heads will roll, ending with the sale to some Asian manufacturing giant. And that will be the end of it.

Splitting off the media part (iTunes, Beats, Tidal, and the rest) will have the same effect, I fear.