Something none of us asked for. I was perfectly fine with lightning across my devices since I only use apple
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Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2
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Next EU complaint from regulators:
Why can't Switch 2 games work on a PS5
Why can't Switch 2 games work on a PS5
Nope, this is political bullcrap from Apple, which is an increasingly politically active entity.
They could ask users when setting up their watches whether they’d like to sync WiFi credentials. There are similar options to sync other personal information, such as calendars and contact. They are choosing not to do this, because they have an anticompetitive lock-in over their users and do not feel competitive pressures.
Regardless, you should be boycotting Apple anyway due to their support for Trump.
They could ask users when setting up their watches whether they’d like to sync WiFi credentials. There are similar options to sync other personal information, such as calendars and contact. They are choosing not to do this, because they have an anticompetitive lock-in over their users and do not feel competitive pressures.
Regardless, you should be boycotting Apple anyway due to their support for Trump.
Switch games physically can't run on Playstation hardware.
It's akin to saying something like "why can't I drive my boat on the road".
That's totally different than iOS Apps simply being sourced from either Apple App Store, 3rd party App Store or directly from an iOS developer.
Those Apps are all essentially identical -- it's just about source location of the file.
As someone who works in tech it also drives me nuts the timelines and timing of legislation. We currently have one in california that passed under CPRA. It passed on Sept 27, we are expected to be compliant by EOY. We currently are under freeze and have 5 weeks left of actual work. At least they don't start enforcing until jan of next year but it is ridiculous how legislators have no clue how long it takes to architect technical infrastructure and to do it right
„Let XYZ access your stored WiFi networks and credentials“ yes/no
Hmmm, doesn’t sound that hard to implement…
I know, it’s said easier than done.
However, some kind of (private) API should already exist, or how is it done for the Apple Watch?
Hmmm, doesn’t sound that hard to implement…
I know, it’s said easier than done.
However, some kind of (private) API should already exist, or how is it done for the Apple Watch?
Yeah, I'm trying to see both sides of this ... and it honestly doesn't seem like a technical limitation.
It seems more like Apple just doesn't want to do it*.
*whether they should have to do it or not is the crux of the debate here
That’s because the EU regulators didn’t legislate “stop tracking us”. Because, in the end, big companies with deep pockets still have a say into any law that will impact their profits.
Do you use Apple Maps? Do you connect to any of Apple’s services? Do you use any features that are available in one region but not another? Then Apple’s tracking you. They have to and are legally required to by different governments around the world. If you don’t want Apple to track you, the only way to do that is to NOT use Apple products.
Apple isn’t locking anyone out of their system. If Meta wants to track users across WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, that’s an integral part of how that business model works, so they absolutely DO know that their users are logging in and where they’re logging in from. If Google wants to track their users across their apps, also, that’s expected.
What’s NOT expected, and what anyone should have a problem with, is companies that track you, as a user, when you are NOT logged into any of their services. People that have no Apple products and are using no Apple services are not tracked by Apple. People that have no Facebook account, people that have no Google account, have records of the websites they’ve visited on Meta’s and Google’s servers. If you’re ok with Google and Meta tracking you across multiple apps (that use their expansive ad networks) and connecting that with also tracking you across a wide number of websites, that’s fine. But, you shouldn’t assume that others are, by default, ok with that.
They mean companies like Google, which is the default search engine on iPhones?
That’s not how Apple’s products work. Any popup (since Apple doesn’t show a popup for themselves) would not adhere to the law and would be out of compliance. They’re demanding that Apple share this information without informing people.
That is the outcome: you will buy the products that still work, ie that comply with the regulations.
Nope, Apple said in 2012 that Lightning would be the connector for a decade. The first USB-C phone was released in 2023. The EU’s requirement didn’t kick in until 2024. So, there definitely would have been a USB-C iPhone as Apple had been working on it for years even before the EU drafted their legislation. They were working on it back when the EU thought microUSB was the “greatest thing ever”.
And, once the number of monthly iPhone users drop below the thresholds, Apple can limit their devices to be sold in France and Germany, which would mean no gatekeeper designation for them.
The reason it's hard to grow businesses in the EU is the shallowness of capital markets. That is indeed a problem. It's not lack of creativity. And btw: Europe's stocks have grown more than US stocks this year, despite not having Fantasy Multiples like Nvidia and Tesla.
Or Epic “If I can have an App Store on an iPhone, why can’t I have one on a Switch or PS5?”
So as a user I can’t choose, according to the regulation?
“I don’t want to share my entire Wi-Fi history with Meta”
“Tough luck, we are forcing Apple to share your information with Meta”.
And Apple replies “oh, you are forcing me? Then I’ll disable the whole feature. Sorry customers who want iPhone-AW integration. I either disable the whole thing or I must surreptitiously share your data”.
If I’m understanding this correctly (and correct me if I’m not), then thank you Apple.
“I don’t want to share my entire Wi-Fi history with Meta”
“Tough luck, we are forcing Apple to share your information with Meta”.
And Apple replies “oh, you are forcing me? Then I’ll disable the whole feature. Sorry customers who want iPhone-AW integration. I either disable the whole thing or I must surreptitiously share your data”.
If I’m understanding this correctly (and correct me if I’m not), then thank you Apple.
I would love a round Apple Watch as an option. Would make the change from my mechanical watch collection to Apple Watch easier. I am at an age where an Apple Watch would make sense for medical reasons but I just can't stand the square design.
Maybe you will just need to open the wifi access screen so the pop up to share the password appears on the iPhone, or also there is the feature that when you open a textfield on the watch your iPhone can be used as keyboard.
It's not a welcoming thing of course, but also I think it's not a very used feature. The only wifi I need on my watch is the one at my home.
And last, aren't wifi passwords on the iCloud Keychain? Maybe this is only if you log in for the first time in this wifi but if you go back home, it syncs with your home wifi and for the next time it will already have the password on the local keychain.
Same ... I vastly prefer a classically shaped round watch, even if it's a smartwatch.
Literally that. I know that folks have an automatic anti-Apple bias, but they should think for a moment about what that means in this situation.