Live data from Hacker News

EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

techcrunch.com

11–20 of 174 posts

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#11
post #2

I expect Apple will react to this by scaling down the sophistication and breadth of features they make available to EU users. That most of these capabilities exist at all reflects Apple’s belief that they’re a way to differentiate their (closed) ecosystem through vertical integration. If the EU takes that away, Apple’s motivation to invest in these areas for EU customers goes away, too.

I hope they do! I need a little bit more push to switch to Android

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#12
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds highly unlikely, as it would drastically hurt the sales of adjacent devices and accessories. In my opinion, the most likely outcome is the Apple regular, where they release docs, but the docs are so bad that they're practically unworkable.

If Apple has the choice to give up developing products in a controlled, vertically integrated manner OR losing a substantial fraction of EU device and accessory sales, I don’t think that’s a hard one for them. We already see it in another regulatory regime, with AI features coming much later to the EU, if at all.

> OR losing a substantial fraction of EU device and accessory sales, I don’t think that’s a hard one for them.

It isn't hard at all. "Develop stuff the way we want, or lose sales" is really not a hard decision at all. Funny how you end up with an answer that defies all common and business sense

> with AI features coming much later to the EU, if at all.

They are coming despite all of Apple's posturing, and on a schedule that was already determined before all the posturing.

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#13
post #2

I expect Apple will react to this by scaling down the sophistication and breadth of features they make available to EU users. That most of these capabilities exist at all reflects Apple’s belief that they’re a way to differentiate their (closed) ecosystem through vertical integration. If the EU takes that away, Apple’s motivation to invest in these areas for EU customers goes away, too.

Highly doubt it, the EU is not the same as the UK.

The precedent set by the USB C is in line with Apple complying.

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#14
post #2

I expect Apple will react to this by scaling down the sophistication and breadth of features they make available to EU users. That most of these capabilities exist at all reflects Apple’s belief that they’re a way to differentiate their (closed) ecosystem through vertical integration. If the EU takes that away, Apple’s motivation to invest in these areas for EU customers goes away, too.

Losing 20% of revenue sure sounds like a great look in front of investors.

Just open it up and let people sideload - 90% won't do it anyway and it'll cause people to switch from Android, which is a lot more prevalent in Europe

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#15
post #13
post #2

I expect Apple will react to this by scaling down the sophistication and breadth of features they make available to EU users. That most of these capabilities exist at all reflects Apple’s belief that they’re a way to differentiate their (closed) ecosystem through vertical integration. If the EU takes that away, Apple’s motivation to invest in these areas for EU customers goes away, too.

Highly doubt it, the EU is not the same as the UK. The precedent set by the USB C is in line with Apple complying.

Although, rumor is that Apple complying with the USB-C directive was just a stop-gap on the way to them removing the charging port altogether.

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/16/slimmer-iphones-without...

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#16
post #7
post #2

I expect Apple will react to this by scaling down the sophistication and breadth of features they make available to EU users. That most of these capabilities exist at all reflects Apple’s belief that they’re a way to differentiate their (closed) ecosystem through vertical integration. If the EU takes that away, Apple’s motivation to invest in these areas for EU customers goes away, too.

Dropping their second biggest region, which makes them 25% of revenue sounds unlikely. Especially as it's just putting that money into competitors' pockets.

They don’t have to drop it entirely, they just stop enabling features there that would trigger the EU’s gatekeeper requirements.

It will hurt their competitiveness and sales, but that’s a relatively small price to pay vs. giving up the product design culture they’ve honed for almost 50 years.

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#17
post #4
post #2

I expect Apple will react to this by scaling down the sophistication and breadth of features they make available to EU users. That most of these capabilities exist at all reflects Apple’s belief that they’re a way to differentiate their (closed) ecosystem through vertical integration. If the EU takes that away, Apple’s motivation to invest in these areas for EU customers goes away, too.

This sounds highly unlikely, as it would drastically hurt the sales of adjacent devices and accessories. In my opinion, the most likely outcome is the Apple regular, where they release docs, but the docs are so bad that they're practically unworkable.

I thought the Apple regular was rejecting apps from the App store for seemingly no reason.

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#18
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds highly unlikely, as it would drastically hurt the sales of adjacent devices and accessories. In my opinion, the most likely outcome is the Apple regular, where they release docs, but the docs are so bad that they're practically unworkable.

If Apple has the choice to give up developing products in a controlled, vertically integrated manner OR losing a substantial fraction of EU device and accessory sales, I don’t think that’s a hard one for them. We already see it in another regulatory regime, with AI features coming much later to the EU, if at all.

Losing 20% of global revenue is not really an option.

Re: EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and devices

#20

As cool how unified the Apple ecosystem is, I do think the EU is right that it's extremely unfair for Apple to give its own smartwatches access to the phone that other smartwatches have zero chance of getting access to.

There was a time, long long ago, when the US had regulators with balls, they regulated Microsoft to stop them pulling this anti-competitive shit.
Post reply on HN