Apple has warned that Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring on the Mac, and SharePlay Screen Sharing upgrades won’t come to the EU in 2024 due to “regulatory uncertainties”? with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
A spokesperson told Financial Times in a statement that the company wasn’t confident the three features would be available in the market in time.
The decision could have a limited impact as some of the features (including key Siri upgrades) aren’t expected to reach Apple devices until 2025, but it still denies EU customers access to some important features. Apple Intelligence’s writing aids and image generation are supposed to be ready for September, for instance. iPhone Mirroring is a tentpole feature for macOS Sequoia, while SharePlay Screen Sharing could help troubleshoot iPad problems.
We’ve asked the European Commission for comment and will let you know if we hear back.
The warning arrives as Apple is reportedly close to being charged with violating the DMA. While the company did make changes that technically allow distributing apps beyond the App Store, the Core Technology Fee and other implementations purportedly go against the spirit of the Act, which was meant to open up competition.
It’s not certain how Apple Intelligence or other features might violate the DMA, or how long it might be before compliant versions arrive (if they arrive at all). As one of the “gatekeepers” outlined in the law, though, the iPhone maker is under tight scrutiny for any feature that might shut out competitors.
Apple’s tight platform integration has sometimes been a source of contention, as you often require one device to use another device’s features. You need an iPhone to use an Apple Watch, for example.