How does the YouTube app being gone surprise *any* of you? Of course Apple is trying to minimize Google's presence on the iPhone. It's been obvious for years, and is especially so with iOS 6.
Good riddance to a neglected app. Apple designed the UI for the Maps and YouTube apps originally. Google got much of the benefit.
Let Google do their own UI work instead of piggybacking off of Apple's designs.
Agree. The YouTube app was old and neglected. Maybe it will be updated in the App Store.