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The battle betweenApple and the EUcontinues.
This is allcovered by the Digital Markets Act, which came into force back in May 2023.
But unlike theswitch to USB-Cand RCS,Apple has restricted DMA-related changes to EU users.
Whats the EU making Apple do?
This applies to connected devices including (but presumably not limited to) smartwatches, headphones and TVs.
The EU is targeting nine separate iOS connectivity features.
This includes the ability for third-party smartwatches to access iOS notifications, easier unit pairing and possibly AirDrop access.
The EU is targeting nine separate iOS connectivity features and brought up a few examples in its press release.
This includes the ability for third-party smartwatches to access iOS notifications.
Thats something that Pebble founderEric Migicovskyrecently warned about.
Apparently not much has changed in the years between Pebbles initial deathand recent resurrection.
So the new PebbleOS watches will be lacking a number of key features when paired with an iPhone.
Should the EUs new crusade succeed, Apple will similarly be forced to offer easier unit setup and pairing.
Also mentioned are “faster data transfers.”
including peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections and near-field communication (NFC).
The company built the iOS ecosystem and has an interest in pushing users towards its own products.
The statement added that, “it’s bad for our products and for our European users.
And the fact that they can nowdouble as hearing aids.
There’s no timeline on when Apple will have to make these changes.
That’s something that’ll be for the company and the European Commission to negotiate on.
But, as ever, don’t expect anything to change if you live outside the EU.
