March 21, 2025, 8:50 am | Read time: 7 minutes
Apple is known for its “walled garden” approach — a closed system built according to the ideas of the company’s visionaries. Its innovations and technologies are generally only available to Apple itself, which causes frustration for many smaller companies. They cannot access basic interfaces because Apple wants to protect its system. So far, this has hindered competition in many categories, such as smartwatches and headphones, in favor of Apple. This is so that the company can advertise its own products as being 100% integrated into its own ecosystem while others lose out. The fact that the European Commission is now loosening Apple’s iron grip is a good approach in itself. But with its all-round attack, it is completely overshooting the mark.
At the end of 2023, Apple was identified by the EU as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Since then, the company has had to adhere to strict requirements. The key term here is interoperability, which means the ability for third-party providers to integrate their apps and services into the Apple ecosystem. This is also the reason why the company has had to allow alternative app stores on the iPhone since last year. Now, however, the European Commission has extended these requirements to nine other iOS features. I’m concerned that the EC’s actions may not serve the best interests of Apple’s European customers. It seems improbable that the company would withdraw from the EU market. Moving forward, it’s possible that new features may be introduced in the EU with delays or potentially not at all.
Overview
Apple Must Open Up Its System in the EU
The European Commission has obliged Apple to open up its iOS ecosystem for greater interoperability with third-party devices and services. The company must give device manufacturers and developers improved access to a total of nine connectivity features in iOS:
- iOS notifications
- Background processes
- Automatic audio transfer (e.g., with AirPods between iPhone and Mac)
- Peer-to-peer connection via Wi-Fi (e.g., for screen mirroring)
- AirDrop
- AirPlay
- NFC
- Proximity-based automatic pairing (e.g., with AirPods)
- Automatic Wi-Fi connection
Apple must ensure the individual features are interoperable according to a defined schedule. Beta versions for iOS notifications and automatic proximity pairing, as well as components of the background processes and automatic Wi-Fi connection, must be open to third-party providers by 2025.
As a final measure, automatic audio transfer must be made available by mid-2027. Throughout the process, Apple must ensure transparency and efficiency in handling developer requests for interoperability in order to provide “fair” access to iOS features.
The Right Approach, …
The intentions of the EU regulators are noble. The measure is designed to ensure that smartwatches, headphones, and other connected devices from different brands work more seamlessly with Apple products. So far, the Apple Watch is the only smartwatch that has full access to notifications and background processes (such as updating the weather forecast). Other manufacturers can only offer products with a very limited range of functions for the iPhone. The founder of the original Pebble smartwatch, Eric Migicovsky, recently wrote on his blog about the relaunch of the brand: “It’s impossible for a third-party smartwatch to send text messages or perform actions on notifications (like dismiss, mute, reply) and many, many other things.”
Similar applies to AirPods, which automatically connect to the iPhone when the lid is opened. Competitors have to do this via an app or the system settings. The closed system also has disadvantages for AirDrop users. Transferring files from iPhone to Mac (usually) works without any problems. But transferring content quickly and easily to an Android smartphone or a Windows PC? Simply not possible.
So, there is definitely room for improvement. The EU regulators view the current walled garden approach as hampering innovation, as third-party providers have no means of competing with Apple’s integrated features. The interoperability requirements are, therefore, intended to create more choice for iPhone users.
… the Wrong Conclusions
For Apple’s business in the EU, this decision poses a challenge to the existing closed ecosystem. Apple is the epitome of vertical integration: the company develops hardware, software, and services entirely in-house. This is why features such as AirDrop and AirPlay would not simply work on a smartphone other than the iPhone — the corresponding hardware is also required.
However, the European Commission is now demanding that third-party providers simply gain access to the connectivity functions — and, therefore, to Apple’s self-developed hardware. But that’s not all. Apple is required to provide free, well-documented APIs (application programming interfaces) and ensure that third-party solutions are as effective as Apple’s own. The company must provide ongoing technical support and ensure that third-party providers always have access to new functions.
EU regulators expect Apple to give others access to many of the previously well-protected iPhone features — you’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy. And all this at the insane price of 0 euros for third-party providers. Instead of conceding to Apple that opening up its platform could mean financial losses, the EU is rubbing salt in the wound once again.
The Deep-Rooted Conflict Between the EU and Apple
Apple sharply criticizes the EU’s measures. In a statement to TECHBOOK, the company writes:
“Today’s decisions entangle us in bureaucratic red tape and slow down Apple’s innovation for users in Europe. They compel us to provide new features for free to companies not subject to the same regulations. This negatively impacts our products and our European user base. We will continue to work with the European Commission to communicate our concerns to them on behalf of our users.”
Beyond the official statement, we have received a number of background details that shed more light on the conflict between the EU and Apple. Among other things, 500 developers have been assigned to find solutions to comply with the DMA requirements. It is no secret that the company believes the European Commission’s regulatory approach is misguided.
Apple believes in competition: “Companies should be allowed to compete […] and benefit from their hard-earned innovations, not be forced to hand them over to competitors to copy them for free.” It also fears that other companies would only copy Apple — and would now have direct access to innovations in the EU. Apple is also concerned about privacy risks, particularly with regard to access to the iOS notification system, which could allow third parties to circumvent its security measures.
Despite its objections, Apple confirmed that it will comply with the law, and the company has committed to implementing interoperability changes from this year onward. However, the company is warning EU regulators. The current measures imply that “officials are, in effect, micromanaging the future design of the iPhone.” For Apple, this leads to an inevitable outcome: releasing new products and technologies in Europe will become significantly more challenging.
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Uncertain Future for Apple Innovations in the EU
Is it a warning, or can the last sentence be taken as a threat? I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple delays bringing new features and innovations to the EU market in the future or cancels them altogether. The company has proven that it is not above such harsh methods with the delayed launch of Apple Intelligence. The AI suite is not due to launch in the EU until April as part of iOS 18.4 — months after general availability for the rest of the world. The mirroring of the iPhone screen on Macs is still not enabled for Europe and is unlikely to come.
With every new function, Apple must now ask itself whether it is economically viable to make it available in the EU and thus give other companies unrestricted access to it. In many cases, the answer to this question is likely to be to the detriment of EU customers. This would mean that the European Commission would achieve exactly the opposite of its actual goal. Instead of promoting innovation and competition, it is hindering the introduction of new iPhone functions.
Setting aside the fact that customers often choose the iPhone for its closed system, which includes features like AirDrop and AirPlay. Personally, however, I switched to the iPhone because I could no longer stand the hassle of delayed updates and fragmented software from individual manufacturers. However, should the EU’s direction prevail, this may well be the future that Apple is facing.