[echelon]

> They would just stop making the phone.

Stop making their high margin hardware that integrates into paid Apple services? The same phone that works with other massively popular Apple hardware, such as Air Pods? Extremely doubtful.

Apple will not cut off their nose to spite their face.

Maybe you have less faith in Apple than I do. I believe they can succeed enormously without their monopoly. They make great products. Microsoft managed just fine (look at their market cap!)

edit: I'm confused. Are the downvotes from Apple fans that think the hardware sucks without the monopoly? And that Apple can't survive without it?

[StreamBright]

HN is just a massive downvote crew nowadays without any arguments. Since the karma system does not penalize this behavior it is widespread.