The European Commission has ordered Apple to open nine key iOS features to third-party developers and manufacturers, significantly transforming the iPhone experience in Europe.
This decision marks the first major show of authority by Commissioner Teresa Ribera, who has also criticized Google for prioritizing its own services in search results.
Beyond the headline, this is a turning point: the iPhone in Europe will never be the same.
Why Does It Matter?
This intervention will directly impact millions of European users. Exclusive Apple ecosystem features like AirDrop, AirPlay, and seamless Apple Watch synchronization will soon be available to competing products, fundamentally altering the essence of the iPhone.
This is not just a legal mandate—it’s a forced redefinition of what it means to use an iPhone in Europe.
Reading Between the Lines: A Direct Hit to Apple’s Strategy
The European Commission has strategically targeted the core pillars of Apple’s ecosystem. The chosen features are not random—they are precisely the ones that create the so-called “lock-in effect,” keeping users within Apple’s ecosystem.
By opening these features, the EU is not just promoting competition but systematically dismantling the barriers Apple has built over the years to retain its customers.
What’s Happening?
For the first time, regulators are dictating how iOS must function, with a detailed implementation timeline:
- End of 2025: Notifications must be displayed on third-party smartwatches.
- June 2026: Automatic device switching will work with third-party headphones.
- End of 2026: AirPlay alternatives must be available.
This means that iOS 19 and 20 will include features and APIs that Apple would never have implemented voluntarily, creating a vastly different operating system from the rest of the world.
A Better or Worse iPhone for European Users?
The answer depends on what we value most.
- More interoperability and choice: Users will be able to choose third-party devices without losing functionality. Non-Apple headphones will work as seamlessly as AirPods, and a smartwatch from another brand could integrate just like an Apple Watch.
- Potential security and privacy risks: Apple warns that forced openness could compromise security. For example, unencrypted notification transmission to external devices could expose sensitive information. Additionally, ecosystem fragmentation could degrade the seamless experience many users appreciate.
However, Apple has faced similar changes in the past—such as the introduction of third-party app stores or emulators in iOS—without the catastrophic consequences it initially predicted.
Will European Users Lose Out on Innovation?
The biggest risk is that Apple may treat them as second-class digital citizens. The company has already delayed features in Europe, such as Apple Intelligence and iPhone Mirroring, and could escalate this strategy.
If Apple sees EU regulations as too disruptive to its platform, it wouldn’t be surprising if future innovations arrive first—or exclusively—in less restrictive markets. In that case, European users would gain more choices but at the cost of receiving fewer innovations.
An Irreversible Change
The European iPhone will never be the same. The big question is whether this change will be for better or worse.
What’s clear is that we are witnessing a historic transformation: regulators have taken an active role in redesigning the most influential product of the century. The outcome of this experiment will shape not just the future of the iPhone but potentially the entire landscape of tech regulation.
