Thank god, there's still some civil discourse out there =)
My implication isn't intended to be that Tim is on the wrong device as in iOS/ipadOS, macOS, etc. (or Android, or the variant that Huawei had to fork because of the USDOJ idiocy in recent times, etc.) DJI is the one in the wrong.
Apple's app store has developed a good reputation by layering security. Code validation before publishing is one (which Google does, regardless of how well (or not) it does it compared to Apple.)
Another key is that those checks are meaningless if apps don't go through them, and are simply downloaded and installed via sideloading. The entire point is 3rd party checks and balances... someone that is NOT the end user, or the app developer. Bypassing that third party (in this world, the respective app store for the platform) completely eliminates that 3rd party from the equation. And unfortunately, this isn't like the world of Linux/open source development where there are hoardes of programmers eyeballing that source code and sharing their findings with the community at large. That 3rd party check is crucial for the entire ecosystem.
Again, that's why Apple adamantly refuses to allow sideloading (and, let's be honest, there's a fiscal and iron-fist control aspect too.) It's also why Android hides the ability to enable sideloading behind nerdy multi-taps to enable developer mode, so that only those who actually understand the risks (in theory...) would actually go down that rabbit hole. (It also allows Android devs to do their work without paying for a 'developer account', which is likely the only reason they even have the ability to enable sideloading baked in.)
Trustworthiness of any given ecosystem app store is absolutely a valid concern, and Google is indeed seen as lagging behind Apple in this regard. But I'd sooner use Kwikset (Android validation) deadbolts on my home than use none at all (sideloading.) Not everyone wants, can afford, or cares about Assa Abloy locks (Apple.)
And for full disclosure, I ADAMANTLY hate Apple, despite getting my start into the tech world at a young age on my very own Mac, in the era of macOS 7.5.1, and despite the fact that most of my replies to this thread were typed up on an iPad Pro (that
M1 chip is indeed impressive, handling 8k video from my R5 that my 8 core Ryzen desktop would cower under.) Replies beyond that have been on my Galaxy S21, and this one is now on a Win10 machine.
I'll clearly use the best tool for the job at the moment, and that I have access to, regardless of where it came from, so this is definitely not an android vs apple vs whatever issue for me.
This is an issue of DJI choosing to willfully bypass the Android app store, for still-unknown reasons. Despite the fact that they seem to be capable of passing the checks in their i-coded apps on the Apple app store.
If they were enabling some kind of functionality that isn't possible in iOS, or for that matter, via an app that can pass the Google play store checks, that might be a reason perhaps. But I'm not aware of anything like that happening here (and even then I wouldn't be a fan, even though I'd at least understand the reasoning.) Instead, DJI has chosen to simply opt out of the best practices world and quietly point people to a website to start bypassing them.