Then I think the real question becomes, not whether or not it's a monopoly, but whether or not its still consumer friendly. It's an idea worth exploring.
Not legally. It's not a monopoly. It's not illegal to be not consumer friendly. I gladly bought into an ecosystem that doesn't allow me to install whatever code I want. If you don't like it, you are free to buy an Android phone. And install a shady app programmed in Russia that will steal your credit card information and use it to pay for a kilo of cocaine. The App Store ecosystem is the best example of Apple locking down their shit. I've had Android phones and iPhones and Google Play is a nightmare. If you want to whinge about something Apple does that's shitty, bitch about the Mac App Store and how you have to go into System Preferences to authorize the installation of programs from developers that they don't recognize or whatever their pay rate is for music.