It’s more a case of Apple not being prepared to compromise their stance on privacy. It’s the same reason Apple withdrew access to ADP in the UK rather than compromising user privacy.
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Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2
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The EU does some good things sure but it also has shown significant overreach as a regulatory body that is demonstrating it is not always protecting users' rights or their interests.
They were already transitioning products to USB-C, this would have happened without the EU, it just would have been slower. Given the amount of e-waste that forced regulation caused I'm not sure there was a net benefit.
I find wifi on the watch useless anyway. I turned it off ages ago and it made no difference. The watch tends to prefer the BT connection to the iPhone even when the wifi is on.
That's not the use case. It's for when you walk into a place without your phone (or your phone has died), your watch will already have the wifi creditials (assuming that you had previously saved them on your phone). It has nothing to do with the how the watch connects to the phone when they're in proximity.
You can put a BMW engine in an Audi. You can also put spark plugs from different providers in an engine, and different lubricants.
On one hand, I’m not a huge fan of the regulatory style of the EU in general.
On the other hand, I have a hard time being critical when I live in a country where air travel is slowly grinding to a halt and government employees are going without pay (or not working at all) because a bunch of petulant children can’t resolve their differences and make things work.
On top of that, I live in a state in that country that was required to have a budget by July 1st and still doesn’t have one. So local school districts are sending out letters to parents that they will have to shut down January 1st due to a lack of funding, and mass transit systems are limping along on a daily basis.
So when the country and the state I live in can’t make the most basic of services work, I really can’t be critical without sounding hypocritical.
Ironically enough, both the state and the federal government are still taxing me, despite not proving services. If I don’t pay them and keep using their services, they get a little upset over that.
On the other hand, I have a hard time being critical when I live in a country where air travel is slowly grinding to a halt and government employees are going without pay (or not working at all) because a bunch of petulant children can’t resolve their differences and make things work.
On top of that, I live in a state in that country that was required to have a budget by July 1st and still doesn’t have one. So local school districts are sending out letters to parents that they will have to shut down January 1st due to a lack of funding, and mass transit systems are limping along on a daily basis.
So when the country and the state I live in can’t make the most basic of services work, I really can’t be critical without sounding hypocritical.
Ironically enough, both the state and the federal government are still taxing me, despite not proving services. If I don’t pay them and keep using their services, they get a little upset over that.
Yes, these are pro-competition regulations. They mean that you won't have to buy an Apple Watch for basic functionality, and instead will be able to chose from many many different electronic watch providers, some of which may be much better than Apple.
Is this on watchOS 26.2 beta? I shared an article like that but from 9to5 Mac with my beta testing thread but there’s many things on this topic that is confusing EU Apple Watch wearers. Will Apple halt WiFi connections for both cellular or gps watches entirely or just for certain features?
Because the regulations affect those companies with vertical integration more than horizontal integration.
To me they are fighting for their customers against draconian regulations that could compromise apples vision.
Hyperbole.
Good. So let them speak with $$$. Apple had another record breaking quarter.
More hyperbole that I don’t believe for second. It’s true there is a lot of friction to switch but that’s only because the Apple ecosystem is so good.
Perfect. Vote with $$$.
Maybe.
In your opinion. The record breaking quarter says otherwise.
Just do it and rip the band aid off.👍
I’m not okay that Apple is being forced to make these changes and Apple is fighting for my right to want the ecosystem to stay as is.
It's a shame. I suppose it would be different if Apple controlled the entire software stack - they could develop a private and secure way to make this feature work while maintaining user privacy.
That not the way MacRumors works.
Unfortunately there isn’t, hence the feature has to be removed from EU users to maintain their privacy.
No, I know but really is it any concern for others than those in EU?
Is that independent knowledge or is the Apple upper manage talking?
I have to say that I'm really enjoying reading these articles of the EU repeatedly shooting itself in the foot and watching iOS features fall by the wayside for the people they represent.....all while enjoying said features for myself.
Keep up the good work EU 🍾 📣 🤣
Keep up the good work EU 🍾 📣 🤣
You could not, simply, "drop in" a BMW engine into an Audi. You would have to substantially modify supporting structures, auxiliary components, and wiring looms, likely invalidating safety certifications in the process. Mating to drivetrains might be simplified if they shared ZF gearboxes, but the mounts and loom certainly would be an absolute nightmare.
And yes, you can use different spark plugs or lubricants. Do that when your car is under warranty though, the chances of them honouring the warranty if something went wrong is zero. Deviate from manufacturer or specified parts at your peril.
They never said it was technically, they said, as well as noted in the article doing so could allow others to abuse customer's privacy and data as Meta has done as noted in the article.
The European Commission is demanding Apple (and others) make their devices natively interoperable with others. The point I'm making is that it's hypocritical for them to do so, when EU-based companies in other sectors and industries are ignored.
The EU DMA legislation was surgically built around excluding Spotify too, which is another precious EU-based company.