[TheOtherHobbes]

Is this bad faith or unbelievable incompetence on Apple's part?

It's tempting to assume the former, but I seriously suspect the latter.

As a user I've seen this happen repeatedly. Search can't find an app even if I enter the name.

This happens for mundane but specialised apps - train timetables, toll payment apps, and other apps for which there is literally no alternative, never mind one that might somehow sell better and make more money.

I don't see how this possibly benefits Apple. Possibly there's some not very effective "optimisation" happening, but it's also possible search is just plain broken.

[britch]

I'd argue this is a consequence of a lack of competition. Since there's no where else for you to go, what incentive do they have to fix search? Devs may complain a bit, but Apple still controls enough of the phone market that people are going to continue to make apps out of necessity and Apple will still get paid. As long as people can still find the "big" apps (uber, netflix, tinder, spotify, etc.), there won't be a meaningful outcry from users. It's not like someone is going to switch OS's over this.