What I don't understand (well I do but I'd rather thing they're stupid than that greedy) is how they fail to see the long term implications of their behaviour.

For example Apple could have easily avoided the entire USB C regulation by offering a USB C variant of their phone and then charging 80€ extra for it. There would not have been enough push to make an entire regulation around the connectors if there was not one giant manufacturer wanting to be special.

The same is the case here. Apple could very easily just skim a bit off the top. Charge third party stores a fee for 2nd class treatment as an appstore instead of 3rd class (for example: have the user confirm every update manually unless the store pays up). That would be enough to shut critics up because "well it's just QoL you're missing out". Instead they are pushing things way too far once again and will ultimately make less money than they could have because of it.