> It is clear that there really is no iOS's mandatory code auditing. If there was, there would be no iOS apps that pose as one app but are actually an other (like emulators).
If you believe that, you need to do some research first. Many people have verified that apps are flagged for using private APIs, certain syscalls, trying to access certain file paths, etc. Nobody's claiming that Apple has solved the halting problem or that static analysis can't be bypassed (see e.g. http://www.news.gatech.edu/2013/07/31/georgia-tech-uncovers-...) but static analysis + even limited runtime monitoring is a lot more than than the disastrous status quo for the desktop world.
> And there are multiple ways to get code on an Android device, but by default only the play store is enabled. You need to go into settings and accept multiple warnings to sideload apps.
This is exactly why I noted the users’ inability to make security decisions reliably. That doesn't mean Android is bad or that the iOS model lacks drawbacks – it's just an explicit tradeoff: J. Random Hacker loses the ability to install an app on iOS without going through the app store process so J. Random Phisher can't convince someone to install their app for free games/movies/coupons/porn/alleged security benefits/etc. Given that has already happened to non-trivial numbers of people, I can understand why they made that decision even if I'm not completely comfortable with the implications.
If you believe that, you need to do some research first. Many people have verified that apps are flagged for using private APIs, certain syscalls, trying to access certain file paths, etc. Nobody's claiming that Apple has solved the halting problem or that static analysis can't be bypassed (see e.g. http://www.news.gatech.edu/2013/07/31/georgia-tech-uncovers-...) but static analysis + even limited runtime monitoring is a lot more than than the disastrous status quo for the desktop world.
> And there are multiple ways to get code on an Android device, but by default only the play store is enabled. You need to go into settings and accept multiple warnings to sideload apps.
This is exactly why I noted the users’ inability to make security decisions reliably. That doesn't mean Android is bad or that the iOS model lacks drawbacks – it's just an explicit tradeoff: J. Random Hacker loses the ability to install an app on iOS without going through the app store process so J. Random Phisher can't convince someone to install their app for free games/movies/coupons/porn/alleged security benefits/etc. Given that has already happened to non-trivial numbers of people, I can understand why they made that decision even if I'm not completely comfortable with the implications.