> However everyone agrees that Apple created a walled garden which is hard to escape.
An obviously false statement.
> Try to use their watches without an iPhone.
Their watches are an iPhone accessory advertised as requiring an iPhone in order to work.
Anyone who buys one thinking otherwise has been misinformed by someone other than Apple, and can return it to the store for a full refund. Then they can buy one of many Android wear or other smartwatches instead.
From my second link: "Apple iOS and other mobile devices, which are restricted to running pre-approved applications from a digital distribution service." If you find The Guardian and Time references unsatisfactory, consider this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21587191.
I really don't understand why you are so much defending Apple.
I did not suggest that an article in Guardian means everybody agrees with that. In this case, Apple themselves agree that the iOS platform is closed for many things.
In my opinion, everybody who doesn't think it's hard to escape did not research Apple well enough. I showed you (some) evidence that it's a closed ecosystem. You could show me something suggesting it's not, if you are so sure.