The iPhone 16 series will be unveiled at the “Glowtime” launch event next week on September 10, and will undoubtedly bring many innovations. Recently, CNMO noticed that foreign media reported that this phone may become the most controversial one in Apple’s history because it is the first time that different versions are available depending on where you buy it.
It is reported that Apple is expected to still release four models: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. But for many years, Apple has adhered to its “closed garden” strategy, but now it has to adjust to the newly passed laws of the European Union, resulting in a split in user experience. European users across the Atlantic are expected to get a more relaxed experience than North American users.
The EU’s Digital Markets Directive (DMA) is a pro-competition law that prohibits large technology companies (i.e. “gatekeepers”) from hindering competition by locking customers into specific hardware or software. This is one of the reasons why Apple abandoned the Lightning interface and adopted the USB-C interface on the iPhone 15 series. Therefore, the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro sold in Europe will be significantly different from the version sold in the United States.
Foreign media reports
For example, in Europe, the iPhone 16 will come with a default app area where users can uninstall any pre-installed browsers, mail apps, or payment platforms and install apps of their choice. European users will also be able to install third-party app stores such as AltStore, making it easy to reintroduce games like Fortnite to the iPhone.
For years, Apple has been reluctant to make these changes, citing privacy and security risks as reasons. According to Bloomberg, Apple expressed concern that DMA’s interoperability requirements could force it to compromise product integrity in a way that sacrifices user privacy and data security.
This decision has practical implications for European users, with Apple confirming that it will not offer Apple Intelligence features in the region at launch. “Due to regulatory uncertainty arising from the Digital Markets Act, we do not believe we can offer three of these new features – iPhone mirroring, SharePlay screen sharing enhancements, and Apple Intelligence – to users in the EU this year,” Apple said in a statement in June.
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s range of AI-driven tools, and is one of the biggest highlights of this year’s upgrade. But because the feature is advertised as customized and personalized for each user, it poses a problem. The DMA requires companies to share data with third parties (to avoid favoring their own services), and Apple refuses to comply. So while European users will gain unprecedented freedom, they will not be able to access cutting-edge AI features.
