There's nothing wrong with with defending Apple - have done it myself on multiple occasions despite the fact that the company makes it harder and harder each year - but we've come to a point that we should stop doing that for the benefit of all consumers and modern computing in general.
My objection regarding Apple's choices on the software front is this: for a company that keeps beating its own drum about innovation, it has not offered any signs of that for a long time. As we've all taken for granted that all tech companies will and do copy each other, what is actually happening is that they are all collectively doing the work needed in order to advance computing as a whole. Well, Apple has contributed absolutely nothing of note on that front for the past 5-6 years, despite the fact that it has more resources in its disposal than anyone else. Instead of investing on real R&D, it is just watching what others are doing and either blatantly copies them or acquires the small companies that do what Apple can't: innovate.
This is shameful. And more people should be calling Apple out for this.
Regarding AR or anything else, same story: Apple did not come up with augmented reality and what it's working on is based on other people's work. Apple is obviously waiting for two things now: for the necessary tech to catch up, as you mentioned, so glasses no different than prescription ones can offer full AR functions, and for its engineers to find multiple ways to link that product to the whole Apple ecosystem in such a manner, that it would gain a competitive advantage even if the product itself is not the best available. Look what happened with AirTags recently. It's the same story every time.
As you mentioned, Apple product users are reaping the benefits of these tactics and being one of them myself I can appreciate the value in it. But it's time the richest tech company in the world stopped amassing obscene amounts of wealth and start giving some of it back in the form of meaningful R&D and actual innovation. If it does not change its stance on this matter soon, it may find out that greed and arrogance can drive even some of its fanboys away, let alone mainstream consumers. Personally, after the M1 iPad Pro fiasco, I intend to do just that.
