The app store is your Phone's distro's package repo. The big difference is all the dumb extra restrictions app stores put on their "packages", like taking a cut

The app store is your Phone's distro's package repo. The big difference is all the dumb extra restrictions app stores put on their "packages", like taking a cut of their money, or not allowing apps to be published for various reasons. Also, you can already download and run unsigned phone apps that way (on Android anyway). It's just that mostly nobody publishes their apps that way.