Adam Kos USB-C instead of Lightning, alternative app stores, RCS to iMessage, unlocked NFC – these are just a few things the EU has focused on to minimize e-waste and make devices sold on the European market more open to the customer. But is there reason to fear that iOS will not be the next Android?
It's a point of view, of course, and that point of view is purely mine, so you don't have to identify with it in any way. I don't really like commanding and commanding, however it is true that times are changing and staying stuck in the past is not appropriate due to technological advancements. With the passage of time and the way the cases develop, I also gradually change my opinion about them.
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Lightning/USB-C
It has been talked about for quite some time that Apple will have to give up Lightning. I was fundamentally against it from the beginning, because a household equipped with so many Lightnings will automatically generate the amount of waste that the EU is trying to prevent after changing the connector. But the ratio of Lightning cables vs. USB-C has changed radically in the home. This is due to the number of electronic accessories that usually come with their own cables, USB-C cables of course.
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So I did a 180 degree turn and I sincerely hope that when I get my next iPhone (iPhone 15/16) it will already have USB-C. All Lightnings will then be inherited by relatives who will continue to use this connector for some time. Finally, it can be said that I actually welcome this regulation.
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Alternative stores
Why should Apple run alternative stores on its phones with its own operating system? Because it is a monopoly, and what is a monopoly is not good. There is no doubt that Apple has a dominant position in the smartphone market and that it currently has complete control over the iPhone application market as you can only buy them through the App Store. Appropriate legislation addressing this should arrive in 2024, and Apple argues that it is concerned about security.
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It's a win for developers though, as there will finally be competition in the app retail market. This means developers either keep more money from each sale, or they can keep the same amount while offering the app at a lower price. The consumer, i.e. us, could save money or have better quality content. But in exchange for this there will be some risk, although if we take it, it will still be entirely up to us. So here too it is relatively positive.
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Vratislav Holub RCS to iMessage
Here it is very much about the specifics of the market. In the US, where the iPhone presence is the largest, this could possibly be a problem for Apple, as it could mean that users will no longer buy iPhones just to avoid having green bubbles in the Messages app. It doesn't really matter to us. We are used to using several communication platforms depending on who we communicate with. With those who have iPhones, we chat in iMessage, with those who use Android, then again in WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram and others. So it doesn't really matter here.
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NFC
Can you imagine paying with a service other than Apple Pay on your iPhones? This platform is already really widespread and where it is possible to pay contactless, we can usually also pay through Apple Pay. If another player comes, it doesn't really matter. I don't see a reason to solve it any other way, and if the option is available, I'll stick with Apple Pay anyway. So from my point of view, it's just about the wolf being eaten, but the goat being left whole.
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So I would appreciate developer access to NFC elsewhere than in payments. There are still a lot of solutions that use NFC, but since Apple does not give developers access to it, they have to rely on slow and lengthy Bluetooth, while on Android devices they communicate through NFC quite exemplary. So here I see this concession on the part of Apple as a clear positive.
In the end, it all comes out to me that the iPhone user should just profit from what the EU wants from Apple. But we will see what the reality will be, and if Apple will not defend himself tooth and nail, for example by coming up with some half-baked solution that will shut the EU's mouth, but it will be as painful as possible for him.
You are completely forgetting about the security aspect for which the majority of Apple users buy. It's about unverified apps, free NFC, etc.
USB has come a long way, so the advantage will not only be ecological but also technical
Alternative markets are a problem because they will be full of fake apps and attempts at malware, spyware, etc... But even an app installed sideways is unknown, that it will have root rights and bypass system permissions. So it won't be some kind of security armageddon.
And companies are using MDM anyway.
RCS is an attempt to bury SMS and is not very successful.
NFC is a triviality again, but every bank has ApplePay and there is no reason to change banks. More choice? Again a plus.
Personally, I am more bothered by FaceID and than any other connector, apart from the 3,5 jack, I would rather welcome TouchID again
Beware of self-centeredness. It is reported that there are approximately 6,6 trillion smartphones worldwide and Apple has sold up to 2,2 trillion Phones since the beginning?