But the question is: should developers outside of Apple applaud this trend? How about consumers? Or small startups? Will complete vertical integration eventually spoil the market?
I don’t think there is too much of a market to spoil. Android manufacturers and PC makers who are just using commodity off the shelf undifferentiated hardware and software operate on razor thin margins in a race to the bottom.
Eh, do not really care. All of my apple kit just works. It gets out of the way and let’s me do want I need. As long as that is the case then it works for me, and most others.