Apple's fight against iPhone sideloading was pointless at best, harmful at worst
Worse, by fighting the issue so loudly and for so long, Apple has actually given the issue way more publicity than it would ever have received otherwise. It has turned what would otherwise have been a boring technical detail covered only by the Apple press into a mass-media news story. Apple has effectively contributed to its portrayal as a bad guy, with zero benefit to the company.
Source: Apples fight against iPhone sideloading was pointless at best, harmful at worst - OSnews