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Other European iPhone users: will you still buy iPhones?
- Thread starter Sensamic
- Start date
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Well, I got into the iPhone "ecosystem" (aka. golden cage) like the virgin got to her child:
It was handed out to me from my employer.
Inside the work environment the iPhone worked impressively well, but in all other cases I felt like being forced in a way too tight corset. So the first thing I did, was searching for apps to escape the ******* walled garden to freely use the iPhone to my wishes. I made good success with using documents and vlc, which both offer to exchange nearly all files with ease by offering an internal webserver, which can be operated by any device, able to browse html-sites. Additionally documents allows me to play my own music without interference from Apple music or other restrictions that only pesters the experience on *MY* phone.
All the completely useless (to me) features, that won't make it to Europe, don't impact me at all. Only the constant shenanigans, Apple is playing against anyone not accepting their royal-like habits, annoys me to the max.
Since I'm already looking around for alternatives, I'm more and more attracted to a Pixel and installing GrapheneOS. I'm absolutely able to decide on myself, which app to install and which not. I don't need the constant nannying, that effectively only slows me down considerably, so I'm wide open to alternatives on the free market.
The only drawback is, even on the "other" side, there are no more handy options for a real phone, only phablets!
/endofrant
It was handed out to me from my employer.
Inside the work environment the iPhone worked impressively well, but in all other cases I felt like being forced in a way too tight corset. So the first thing I did, was searching for apps to escape the ******* walled garden to freely use the iPhone to my wishes. I made good success with using documents and vlc, which both offer to exchange nearly all files with ease by offering an internal webserver, which can be operated by any device, able to browse html-sites. Additionally documents allows me to play my own music without interference from Apple music or other restrictions that only pesters the experience on *MY* phone.
All the completely useless (to me) features, that won't make it to Europe, don't impact me at all. Only the constant shenanigans, Apple is playing against anyone not accepting their royal-like habits, annoys me to the max.
Since I'm already looking around for alternatives, I'm more and more attracted to a Pixel and installing GrapheneOS. I'm absolutely able to decide on myself, which app to install and which not. I don't need the constant nannying, that effectively only slows me down considerably, so I'm wide open to alternatives on the free market.
The only drawback is, even on the "other" side, there are no more handy options for a real phone, only phablets!
/endofrant
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Reverend Benny
macrumors 68000
Thank you, very interesting option - only 699€ with all Swiss privacy services included aaand - made in Germany! 😵
...but again a phablet and not a phone. 😕
Just remember if you don't install an LLM it can't view your data. You are not obligated to install it.
Having said that I switched to Android for usability reasons (notification management, universal back gesture, and much better keyboard).
Starfia
macrumors 68000
Thank you for the great detail with that reply!
But the question was whether people asked for the EU and specifically the DMA, not whether any country allows citizens to vote on every single rule.
So it seems like this is not a rebuttal of Dirk Pieter's point, but a concession of it.
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Le_Chiffre
macrumors 6502
Or you can just use Apple and keep your privacy.
Abazigal
Contributor
I seem to recall reading somewhere that iPhones are exempt from this clause and do not need to come with removable batteries.
It’s the generally declining software quality that’s making me consider this, none of the features are meaningful enough. I’ve never used a more unstable iPhone than the ones on iOS 26, and I’ve never used a more stable Samsung than the S26 on the latest Android versions.
If I cared about the AI stuff I would’ve gone to Android already since it supports my native language and Siri doesn’t.
If I cared about the AI stuff I would’ve gone to Android already since it supports my native language and Siri doesn’t.
schneeland
macrumors 6502
It's unfortunate that these features are not available in the EU, but on the other hand, I don't really feel really strongly about them (I might miss AI Siri a bit more if it turns out that it is better at speech synthesis in German).
I still haven't bought an iPhone in a while (still using an 11 Pro), but that's mostly a) progress is modest, and b) Apple refuses to offer another phone in the same size class. I did buy an iPad Pro and Mini as well as an Apple Watch in the past two years, so I guess Apple's concern about people like me is limited. These other devices are also the reason I'm unlikely to switch to Android, soon (if it was just about the phone, I'd probably have switched to a Pixel by now).
I still haven't bought an iPhone in a while (still using an 11 Pro), but that's mostly a) progress is modest, and b) Apple refuses to offer another phone in the same size class. I did buy an iPad Pro and Mini as well as an Apple Watch in the past two years, so I guess Apple's concern about people like me is limited. These other devices are also the reason I'm unlikely to switch to Android, soon (if it was just about the phone, I'd probably have switched to a Pixel by now).
apostolosdt
macrumors 6502
Yes, the overall features and the functionality of an iPhone is what value mostly to me. Now, if that non-availability had happened on my Mac... that would have been a disaster!
GraueEminenz
macrumors newbie
I don't care that much about the features in question. Especially in terms of AI I think it's limitation is actually a bonus, even more so as it's a Google AI.
Aw you think companies (including Apple) let you keep your privacy? As soon as you connect to the internet you will get tracked.
I shortly bought a ref. Se3 for 130€, it should be supported for another 4 years meaning about 30€ per useful year. I dont need apple inteligence, i prefer my own.
Le_Chiffre
macrumors 6502
Aw you are moving the goalpost from privacy to being tracked.
And yes researchers have verifiably and quantifiably proven that Android phones give out 20x more of your data than iPhones, hence privacy is an iPhone feature.
After your phone your android phone gives out 20x more data than an iPhone Google than monetized it and sells your information, its their business model after all.
Keep in mind that was before ai, with ai if you want privacy there’s only one option and that’s iPhone.
By the way, if Android is separated from Google Android will cease to exist, since it’s only purpose is to gather all your data for Google to sell. Enjoy your Android now. 😂
Le_Chiffre
macrumors 6502
Indeed, Apple is no longer bending to the eu.
Privacy comes first at apple, for people that don’t care about their privacy or data, there’s always Android. 😊
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surferfb
macrumors 68030
After playing around with the new Siri for a few days, I'm bummed for my German family and friends. It's really good. Hope there is a solution soon.
9to5mac.com
Just for clarification, it's not "a Google AI". What Apple did was work with Google and use Gemini models to help develop Apple’s own AI models. Essentially, they started with Google’s models, optimized them to run on Apple Silicon, then retrained them with Apple proprietary data. But anything you put in there isn't going to Google, being used to train Google's models, or anything like that. More info here:
Siri AI is powered by Gemini models, but is not Gemini – what does that mean?
We know that Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features are powered by Google’s Gemini models, but Apple has been...
9to5mac.com
It ends up being ineffective for the vast majority of devices as the features defined for exempt phones include everything Apple sells and most of the competition.
Le_Chiffre
macrumors 6502
I never moved the goal posts. I just put tracking and privacy together, because tracking is an invasion of privacy. I have never claimed Google doesn't track you. I claim that 1) Apple tracks you, and 2) your article confirms that apple tracks you.
Also on Android you have more granular control over what permissions an app has so there's that. Plus I use google services even on my iPhone, and Apple devices so they track that too. Having said that, you can have proper firefox on Android, so you can use privacy extensions more so than Crapari, sorry Safari.
Le_Chiffre
macrumors 6502
Tracking is a subset of privacy a very narrow one. Apple does track you but they don’t sell your data.
Google does, it’s there business model.
Sure granular privacy controls in Android actually work. 🤣
They don't have to "sell" your data, because you can only "buy" from THEIR AppStore - simple as that... 🤣
Wait until you find out that other companies can track you from your iPhone. Also Apple software is closed source, and if you work for them, or even have a job interview, you need to sign an NDA, so who really knows. Their deflection marketing is excellent though, I will give them that.
As a consumer who cares about privacy and wants a closed ecosystem, that's perfect👌
And why the quotes?😆