It's not just "sideloading", it's Apple being forced to break its vertical integration with the App Store. The point is that the App Store cannot even be a "preferred" source for apps, much less the only one, and that includes having a perfectly workable iPhone with the App Store not even installed ever, because you did not choose it from some list at first start, and you're rolling with some third party store exclusively.
In theory, it should look like Windows and its browsers, or even more free, because what Windows does now with Edge is also illegal over the DMA and Europeans will soon be able to uninstall or not even have Edge installed on their Windows devices.
I’m hoping this ultimately makes Apple open their operating system and leads to Apple letting users dock their phones and let it launch traditional macOS
I think it's a step towards a world where that makes sense. Not this time, but maybe next time.
This law very carefully includes only select software, they are carefully trying not to disrupt the market too much. For example, this is the law that mandates Facebook Messenger must support third party clients, where I should be able to send messages to it from a third party app and receive responses through an open API. So does WhatsApp and a few other messaging apps.
It doesn't include iMessage though, because nobody cares about iMessage in the EU market. I am interested where this goes in the next decade. Hope they keep unshittifying tech.
I have to say I thought that was kinda a pipe dream, but Samsung DeX is surprisingly useful and I use it a lot when I don't have my personal laptop around but I do have a docking station (which happens a LOT in today's hotdesking environment).
Just plug it in and access to all my personal computing stuff is there <3