I've done a lot of action photography. The stabilization of video really is pretty close to a GoPro (and why not - it's software). The ability to do 4K video is much better than most cameras.
> One needs all idevice and isoftware ecosystem to function and survive in the iworld. And that world is mostly controlled and directed by the company!
I don't understand this. You take the photos or movies off the phone and you can use them however you like. There's no particular vendor lock-in in this aspect, and certinaly no more than in the camera world where you choose which of the Sony/Canon/Nikon ecosystems you want to live in.