Apple CEO Tim Cook is clearly against sideloading apps, claiming it would break the iPhone’s security and privacy protections. But if you need convincing, the company has publicly released a document analyzing the impact of sideloading and toot its own horn, that iOS is safer than Android against malware.
Apple’s document, entitled Building a Trusted Ecosystem for Million of Apps – A Threat Analysis of Sideloading, claimed that in the previous four years Android devices had 15 to 47 times more cases of malware infections than the iPhone.
As to how Apple can keep its ecosystem safer than the competition, the company attributes its security and privacy protections as well as app review processes on the App Store. The effectiveness of these measures, according to Apple, would erode should the company allow sideloading apps via direct downloads or third-party stores.
So there you go: Apple would like the iOS ecosystem to remain a walled garden.