Yes, but they have NEVER removed content from anyone's phone, even the stuff that was pulled from the store. In fact, I have a piece of software called iPint that was pulled from the store pretty quickly (probably because it's got a Grayling glass) but not only do I still have it, I was able to install it onto my new iPhone.
I *do* have reason to believe that Apple will act differently than Amazon: They have a track record of pushing for the right of their users to *own* content, whereas the record companies tend to prefer the subscription model (listen to anything you want, but you have to pay a monthly fee). They also know what a massive PR mess it would create if they started taking away people's apps. Finally, as a LONG-time Apple customer, I know that they value their customers. They know that their legions of "fanboys" are a major asset, and so they go about creating more of them, by treating their customers really well.
Apple has a kill-switch solely to be able to remove any malware that might slip through the cracks of the app store approval process - Having an iPhone virus would be a major PR mess as well! Yes, the system is "closed" but really, the system is "protected." And so it just works. That's what I want my gadgets to do.
