While the iOS App Store search interface has changed over time, and continues to change, Apple has used designs in its search interface that make sure oversized portions of the screen lead users away from competitors’ apps and towards Apple-curated lists or Apple-selected advertisements.
Moreover, Apple’s “Stories” for categories such as email act as a further barrier to entry and innovation. The iOS App Store is designed to draw users to the “Story” before they encounter a list of other apps.
In that “Story”, Apple offers only a limited number of email apps that Apple selects – a list that has remained essentially static for nearly two years – presenting a significant barrier to entry for new email apps.
