Apple already locked down app access to personal data (like contacts) in iOS 6. In iOS 7 they are just going further (eg. now a dialog also pops up for access to camera and mic)
The main difference is that Android has this all-or-nothing approach (accept giving the app all these permissions, or don't use the app at all), while iOS asks you for each permission individually, and you can use an app without granting it specific permissions. (eg. the weather app -- disallow access to location, and you can still type in place names manually)
The funny thing here is, Android had no choice to do it properly, because the respective "ask the user" mechanisms in Java, though present, are patented by Oracle, and the Android developers had to find an alternative mechanism to prevent infringement.
OTOH, maybe they did it this way so you can't prevent ad-driven apps from accessing all the fine data about you.
Citation please? Popping up a dialog isn't something Java-specific. I don't believe MS would license those patents to implement UAC either. This just sounds really improbable.
With the technology we have, saying that one of the biggest software companies in the world just 'had no choice' but to implement something in a particular way is crazy.
The main difference is that Android has this all-or-nothing approach (accept giving the app all these permissions, or don't use the app at all), while iOS asks you for each permission individually, and you can use an app without granting it specific permissions. (eg. the weather app -- disallow access to location, and you can still type in place names manually)