As a consumer on the other side I can see how it works for one type of app but not another.

I recently came across an Android app called Bundled Notes which was everything I was looking for in a note-taking app. Web access is a bonus with the $2 a month sub so this was a no-brainer as I use the app every day. To my knowledge there isn't a Notes app that is this polished on Android that offers web and iPadOS access.

On the flip side we have iOS camera application Halide. Its one thing to offer a basic OS functionality, but slightly better (you could argue a notes app is exactly this) but the only real advantage Halide has over the default camera app is manual focusing. Would I pay $3 a month for this feature? Would you pay Canon $3 a month to unlock in on a DSLR? Not when Camera+ legacy offers this feature for a one-off $5.

And yet I happily also pay Square Enix $7 a month for Final Fantasy XIV access because it has none of the F2P mechanics that have ruined other such games.

But I'd rather pay upfront for a single title than perpetually rent them on Game Pass.