Take a look at the “Brussels effect”. The only reason it doesn’t apply in this case is that software changes are easy to made — but Apple might still have to eventually let it go even in the US, if for example people like it enough.
Right. Apple was likely to go USB-C soon on the iPhone anyway, but the EU rule may have pushed it up. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to make two physical versions over the charge port so all iPhones are (allegedly) going USB-C.
They only made things different when they absolutely had two, like the radios. But software featured are really easy to differentiate in different countries.
The big risk, and I agree with you, is that this will prove that sideloading isn't the great evil they’ve been portraying and they’ll be forced to offer it in additional places by more laws until it becomes easier to just give it to everyone.
