The EU Commission wants iPhones to play nice with third-party smart wearables

20 September 2024
The EU’s proceedings will also target fair, timely, and transparent interoperability requests for third-party developers.

Sort by:

Anonymous, 23 Sep 2024"Android is open, Google doesn't prevent devices ... moreYou're exaggerating so bad that I'm cringing rn...
There's absolutely NOTHING that prevents Apple from offering full compatibility for their accessories on Android. The OS and Google won't stop them.
However iOS prevents other manufacturers from offering full compatibility for their devices on iOS because Apple wants you to buy their own products or products that they approve only.
That's the difference here.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • IbF
    • 23 Sep 2024

    Anonymous, 23 Sep 2024"Android is open, Google doesn't prevent devices ... moreThis is true. Android as an OS is completely locked down like iOS, the only difference is a few select Android OEM’s offer bootloader unlocks to give the ability to modify the software. I always view the mobile OS hierarchy like this: Jailbroken iOS is superior to Rooted Android, Rooted Android is superior to Stock Android, Stock Android is superior to Stock iOS, but honestly stock iOS with a $10 dev signing cert gives you 90% of a jailbreak and bumps it up over Stock Android imo.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • Fv1
      • 23 Sep 2024

      Smallworld, 21 Sep 2024You're off topic. Samsung is not Android. This is abo... more"Android is open, Google doesn't prevent devices made for other OSes from working well with Android"

      That is where you're wrong bucko! Android is not open at all, Google controls all of it. AOSP has been butchered and pushed to the trash can for over a decade now. If you want to sell an Android phone with Google play store you must comply with everything Google. Android is just as locked down as iOS from an app stand point, if not more.

        • M
        • MeowMeow
        • DIn
        • 23 Sep 2024

        Pedro, 21 Sep 2024What about Samsung wearables playing nice with non samsung ... moreIndeed! Samsung cuts like a half of the useful features on their watches once you magically ditch their smartphones. I absolutely do not respect apple for their practices, but the EU should look onto samsung as well, cause what they do, is an also absolute non competitive way of developing their products

          Can't lay flowers at Apple's path for what it did here, but let's admit it:- Most cheap wearables are huge privacy risks.

          Most of them force use of company standard apps, and most of them force use of internet and they also force you to make an ID to store intimate information about you as a person.
          If you don't do all this, the watch won't adjust timing at all even if you try, and constantly bug you to pair it. (I've tried)

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • thY
            • 22 Sep 2024

            Darren, 22 Sep 2024Earbuds, fitness bands etc are an easy implementation. Gett... moreNot only that, but also:
            1. navigate through Apple's bureaucratic "walled garden" policies
            making third-party ear pods more difficult to approve by Apple
            on top of the challenges to the development of the third-party ear pods to "play nice"

            2. must be slightly inferior to Apple's first party ear pods
            Apple does not want their first-party ear pods to be out performed by a third-party one
            as it will undercut their sales figure

            3. and the most important thing for Apple, royalty fees
            not only forced to make a slightly inferior third-party ear pods as mentioned above, but also can't allow a third-party ear pods to be cheap as well compared to their standard versions

              • D
              • Darren
              • PNV
              • 22 Sep 2024

              Earbuds, fitness bands etc are an easy implementation. Getting WearOS to play nice with iOS is a development challenge on both fronts.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • msZ
                • 22 Sep 2024

                Anonymous, 21 Sep 2024Companies, can and will abuse their power. Apple (and othe... moreglad that the eu doesn't

                  • B
                  • Batman
                  • ndx
                  • 21 Sep 2024

                  I'm glad they are addressing these anti competitive practices, there's no reason why I can't reply to iOS notifications with my WearOS or Amazfit smartwatch

                    Pedro, 21 Sep 2024What about Samsung wearables playing nice with non samsung ... moreYou're off topic. Samsung is not Android.
                    This is about devices not having the same features on Android and iOS because Apple makes it hard on purprose. Android is open, Google doesn't prevent devices made for other OSes from working well with Android.
                    Meanwhile Apple does everything to keeo its walled garden intact

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • thY
                      • 21 Sep 2024

                      Companies, can and will abuse their power.
                      Apple (and other companies) can and will make the third-party devices not play well or not play at all.
                      All it take is just one software update, and those third-party devices will now paper weights just because Apple (and other companies) despises them.

                      Of course Apple (and other companies) will say that they will "self-regulate", but we all know they are empty words.
                      The word "self-regulate" is a joke.
                      It is there to fool the gullible politicians.

                      Now, Apple is getting the corporate hardest "R" (Regulation, what "R" were you thinking 🤪).
                      Of course as Apple has shown us, they will weasel their way out of this.
                      If Apple can't weasel their way out, they will comply with malice (as they have shown us with their third-party app / side-loading compliance).



                      As for the audio side, if only Apple (and other companies that mocked Apple but later copied Apple [monkey see, monkey do]) did not remove a certain component called 'the headphone jack'.
                      3.5 mm too thick for ya? No worries! 2.5 mm has yo' back (Nokia 7210 Supernova says hi!).

                      Again, I am not saying that wireless are bad, I am saying that companies have the power to misuse and abuse self-regulation.

                        • n
                        • ni
                        • Siu
                        • 21 Sep 2024

                        To Simplify follow the standards, everyone is tied of money businesses

                          • P
                          • Pedro
                          • 8Iq
                          • 21 Sep 2024

                          What about Samsung wearables playing nice with non samsung devices?

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 05a
                            • 21 Sep 2024

                            SShock, 20 Sep 2024Hm, I never had issues with smart devices on iPhones. I... moreApple is blocking basic smart features for smartwatches like, messaging and notifications handling, to the extent Samsung just said no thanks. Because, it makes the "integration" borderline as pointless as for a basic analogue watch.

                            I haven't checked, but I wouldn't be surprised if Apple does the same for earbuds. Cutting everybody out from the smart features.

                              Charles , 20 Sep 2024The EU has lost it completely. no they have not, eu is trying to save the consumer rights.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • va0
                                • 21 Sep 2024

                                Eu make apple use iMessage on androids ….

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • va0
                                  • 21 Sep 2024

                                  Charles , 20 Sep 2024The EU has lost it completely. Trim that walled garden lol .. need more apps besides apple .

                                    FatShady, 21 Sep 2024if i'm not mistaken, isn't sammy doing the same a... moreYup. But they get a free pass since they're not making as much money as Apple.

                                      • T
                                      • TechEnthusiast24
                                      • iGf
                                      • 21 Sep 2024

                                      Eu Commision suddenly cares about its ERU citizens when it comes to Apple, but Microsoft is 10 times worse with spying, travking, bloating, literally forcing you to use their in-house software, something of which Apple is getting accused, and noone on the EU Comission bats an eye.

                                      Seems like their intentions are different from what they make them seem to be.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • PZT
                                        • 21 Sep 2024

                                        Anonymous, 20 Sep 2024apple should just stop selling their devices to eu, rather ... moreiOS being secure is a joke, Apple bent over backwards to put backdoors for their Chinese versions just to have access to the Chinese market.