The justification of "We put all the hard work into building the hardware, the OS and the stack so deserve a cut" still stands if a website is opened using the Safari engine. If it doesn't stand then neither does the App Store cut.
They would if they knew how. Which is probably why they block features on the web so that they can't compete with native apps.
They're blatantly holding back web tech to maintain their entrenched interests
- Automatically erasing all script-writeable storage after 7 days, crippling local PWAs and preventing them from competing with native apps
- dragging their feet on Service Worker support for ages, another PWA issue
- blocking the standardization of numerous web hardware APIs:
- Web Bluetooth
- Web MIDI API
- Magnetometer API
- Web NFC API
- Device Memory API
- Network Information API
- Battery Status API
- Ambient Light Sensor
- HDCP Policy Check extension for EME
- Proximity Sensor
- WebHID
- Serial API
- Web USB
- Geolocation Sensor (background geolocation)
- User Idle DetectionSome new APIs proposed by Google is bad, so declining by Apple is fair. Mozilla also decline some APIs.
What's the greater evil? Some APIs that have to be approved by the user that give greater access to hardware.
Or developers having to write platform specific native apps if they want to reach the gigantic iOS audience, oh and because it's then through the App Store, then pay Apple for the privilege and pay App Store tax on any income from the app.
I know some would argue both are bad, but I know which world I'd rather live in.
Mobile Safari is the Internet Explorer of the modern web.
A buyer gives $x because they are betting they cannot buy at $x-1 at whatever scale they want to buy at.