Sure there is no good-guy and bad-guy here. But there is a better guy, and a worse guy, and that largely depends on what you value most.

For me, the tactics of Apple using legal methods to try to squash competition are a huge red flag, because I happen to think that the consumer is going to pay for that.

You can think that Apple defending its rights is going to benefit the consumer long-term by allowing Apple to provide innovation. But my viewpoint is that Apple can not compete anymore, and is resorting to legal tactics to fight competition. And that (if they had won) they would have a lock-in in a growing and very important market segment (high end smartphones).

Luckily the "good guys" have largely won.

It is just a matter of point of view.