What's Really At Stake
Much to Apple's chagrin, VHC patented foundational secure communications first. So unless VHC could be driven into bankruptcy, either they, or whomsoever is astute enough to buy them, can institute Gabriel, SDNI and the attendant registry. That would enable secure communication between anyone's and everyone's devices. Hence, their stranglehold on their customers would no longer exist since Apple devices could then communicate with devices of the competition. Their customers would not then need to confine their purchases to Apple's products.
Thus, while attaining secure communications ostensibly ties their customers ever more closely within Apple's ambit that only remains so if such foundational security remains unavailable to their competition.
Needless to say, this rearguard action is less justified the nearer we get to 4G LTE-A. If they cannot spend VHC into bankruptcy by then, as the MSFT settlement now makes evident they can't, then they have lost even if their laughable arguments in the courts prevail. Apple customers will only be able to talk to themselves, however securely, unless Apple licenses under FRAND, while everyone else can then do so with anyone assuming they don't use Apple devices.