What's the betting he'll back down in some way (which was the plan all along)? That way they'll get what they originally wanted but will look as if they've "listened".

I'm not sure I believe that will happen though, tbh.

My bet is that they'll announce that they're still charging for the API, but at a "drastically" reduced price. As you say, I think it was their plan all along. That way they can still milk third party apps, all the while still being able to say "we listened to the community" by not destroying them outright