Part of it is your assumptions that aren't proven out. For example, the Snapdragons in those devices are the same that the other non-Samsung flagships carry (such as the new Nexus devices). The Samsung stuff carries the Exynos stuff that Samsung makes, and it's supposedly superior to Qualcomm's chips. The same goes for Apple, where the chip is supposed to be really efficient and powerful, partially because Apple has a nice hardware-software stranglehold that lets them control every aspect of it all. Plus, we're REALLY close to the Snapdragon 820 series, so calling these the best in processing power is extremely tenuous, because if the A9 and Exynos chips are faster, then in a couple of months, these might actually be the WORST modern flagships, from a processing power angle, as many will have the 820 coming.
The camera's great, in theory, though we've seen them under-deliver and need a lot of software tweaks in the past. They're MAYBE the best of the major players, but we'll have to see. Calling them the best before there's any third-party testing isn't useful. The same goes for the display, especially when the 950 goes with GG3, not GG4 (not sure that even matters). Resolution isn't everything, but Glance functionality (more a software matter than a hardware one) DOES give the displays a functional leg-up on the competition.
"The people who use Windows phones, people like us, know that there is no app gap. Then why is this cited as the reason again and again?"
The answer is simple: BECAUSE YOU'RE WRONG. If you don't think there is an app gap, then you don't use apps, that's the reality of it. I'm someone whose app use is rather limited, so it doesn't hurt me, but that doesn't disprove reality for others. There is no Snapchat. There is no Trillian (admittedly, the one app I feel needs added). Gaming companion apps don't always show up (Watch Dogs, for example). There are no official Google services. Instagram is still in beta form. The "official" Facebook app was Microsoft-made because Facebook itself wouldn't bother. I don't think we have apps for NHL Center Ice OR NBA Game Time (streaming live games).
In conjunction with the flat-out missing apps, many apps are of lower quality and/or don't get updated. Comcast's Xfinity remote is a ****. IMDb hasn't been updated in, like, 2.5 years (though it's functionally fine). Even Microsoft's own apps haven't gotten the same amount of love on WP8.1 as the Android and iOS offerings, though we just have to hope that's because they know the OS is a dead end and will fix this issue for W10M.
End of the day, the slant isn't purely anti-Microsoft. The OS has little marketshare, and apps are still a big problem. These things won't sell well, this site basically pushes that same notion out there, and it's the most pro-Microsoft site we've got. These are going to give the OS numbers a bit of a boost, but even 5% would probably be a miracle, since W10M is launching without the European-friendly Nokia brand behind it (which I think is a big part of why you saw high Euro adoption rates; those people now have little reason to stay loyal to the hardware).
That all wraps up to a big I DON'T CARE. I'm getting a 950 or 950 XL (hopefully XL, but not sure yet). I wont' be begging for apps because I don't really need them. I like the OS, I like the hardware, and I'm good to go. I'm not going to worry what the media (which is biased towards a million stupid things, honestly) says about my phone, and I'm not going to worry about what my peers have in their pockets when I'm getting something for me.
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