Before iOS (and for the early years of iOS) people paid out of pocket for software updates. Now it’s an ongoing cost instead, imposed as a tax on software transactions. This is not an unusual arrangement - people rent things in perpetuity all the time, like EC2 instances and water heaters.
The fact that it's a tax on software transactions and not simply something rented/charged monthly is kind of the point.
And, no, not all software updates were uncommon or charged for before iOS. Windows Update predates iOS by many years. People did pay for development tools but then so do iOS developers for $100 a year. I've personally only paid for dev tools a few times in my life. Developers add value to an ecosystem.
I hear this argument all the time. But what do you think was done before iOS?
When will they have finally gotten paid for all that and don't need to take any more money from you?