rorschachai said:

Apple should just shut down the App Store in the EU and have side loading be the exclusive way to install apps. Wipe their hands of it all and let companies figure out the logistics of marketing, hosting, payment processing, etc themselves.

Apple Intelligence is only the start of features that the EU will be left behind on.

Sounds like a very reasonable proposal although the EU isn't actually asking for that. 

The EU is asking for competition and even in that scenario Apple has a lot on its side because those who don't want to use the other options can choose not to if they are happy with the existing setup. 

Your 'teach them a lesson' suggestion would force users into alternative app stores for which I wouldn't consider the term 'sideloading' to be appropriate as the installation process wouldn't be bypassing anything.

Don't forget that hosting, processing etc would be covered by store revenues and very possibly direct downloads from software vendors. 

There is no secret sauce to any of those processes which are all easily catered to in the digital age and new fintech advances. 

Currently, Apple takes the entire revenue stream all for itself and we know it is a multi billion dollar industry. Even when accounting for an EU percentage, I'm sure there is money to be made but the number one concern isn't money, it's competition. 

Deleted - my bad.

tmay said:

avon b7 said:

tmay said:

https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/eismea/items/826237/en

Why Europe is losing the race for innovation

Die Welt | 10/04/2024 | Europe - The European Union (EU) continues to lose ground in the global race for promising technologies. When it comes to research and development expenditure in growth sectors such as biotechnology or the digital economy, the USA is far ahead. The Chinese have also risen to become a global power factor in some future technologies in just ten years.

But... 

https://tech.eu/2023/11/28/the-state-of-european-tech-2023-consistent-long-term-growth/

Swings and roundabouts

My link was an EU Commission report.

Your source is a Venture Capitalist, and frankly, the report relies on some pretty "flakey" metrics. Then again, the intent is to entice investors, so, maybe it will work.

I'll go with the EU Commission report. 

Your link was NOT to an EU commission report. It was to the EISMEA newsroom which focuses on SMEs and picked up on the news item because it mentioned SMEs.

The news item was from Die Welt (a German newspaper) which seems to have had early access to a report by something called the European Policy Analysis Group (EPAG). 

With that out of the way... 

tmay said:

https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/eismea/items/826237/en

Why Europe is losing the race for innovation

Die Welt | 10/04/2024 | Europe - The European Union (EU) continues to lose ground in the global race for promising technologies. When it comes to research and development expenditure in growth sectors such as biotechnology or the digital economy, the USA is far ahead. The Chinese have also risen to become a global power factor in some future technologies in just ten years.

But... 

https://tech.eu/2023/11/28/the-state-of-european-tech-2023-consistent-long-term-growth/

Swings and roundabouts

teejay2012 said:

avon b7 said:

Why was iCloud the only cloud backup option for iOS Whatsapp users for so long?

Privacy?

Can you tell me why it was impossible to take a picture and simply direct transfer it to another non-iOS user via Bluetooth?
Trivial issue. Many ways to transfer.

The next stop should be opening up cloud migration. Another huge barrier to switching platforms.

Comparison of features vs price, I am not seeing a huge win by transferring. I like that full backup of private data is encrypted and not outside of Apple

Next stop is to see if a fine is deemed necessary by the EU, how much, and on what specific grounds.

Vestager makes it up as she goes along. Fines based on feelings not defined laws is unacceptable in business. She is really out of control

It not inconceivable for someone to call for complete severance of Apple services from Apple hardware.

Apple will be gone from EU if that was ever pushed. Apple does not need EU member countries (not the often referred 'Europe' market) to remain a very profitable company.

So what has changed now that iCloud isn't the sole option? Obviously not privacy as all the major players adhere to global privacy regulations. 

Direct file transfer was most certainly NOT a trivial issue. For a time it forced users to use AirDrop which wasn't 'direct' as it required Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and iCloud to be activated. Plus it was a simple profile (supported on Macs) and, to my knowledge never ever supported on Apple mobile. A classic example of 'our way or the highway' and easy to do if you have total control of what the user base can or can't do. 

Cloud migration is another huge battleground waiting to get moving. The EU basically forced cloud operators to 'unlock' things with solutions like Google Takeout but that involves first downloading everything and then uploading everything again. 

I have a Google account for my building community affairs that required stricter compliance as a result of the GDPR so I decided to move everything over to my personal Google accounts but Google informed me that no such cloud-to-cloud (even within Google) existed. I'd have to jump through the download/upload hoop.

Imagine trying to do that between to different cloud providers. I fully expect that to get looked at eventually. 

Vestager definitely doesn't make things up as she goes. It's an entire team and its famous old name was 'Max Force', not because of Vestager but because of Max Lienemeyer who was the actual lead on many antitrust cases. Vestager is a tough character though and Tim Cook has squirmed through many a meeting with her (especially over the Irish tax situation). 

Separation of infrastructure and the services that run on them is pretty common. I wouldn't rule out someone throwing that into the ring and if Apple goes, that's up to them. If any such obligation came to pass though, it's highly likely it would be seen as a model for other areas. Would Apple pull out of all of them? 

thrang said:

nubus said:

Vestager is ultra pro open markets. It seems not all here get that part. She is pushing for competition all the way by keeping competition fair. If you're like Apple doing tax evasion with a "Double Irish with Dutch Sandwich" model then you can expect to take some heat. And EU is by the way not keeping fines. Those fines are 1:1 deducted from what the countries pay and EU can't charge taxes on their own. EU is not like the US government.

If Apple can't handle a person running things by the book, fighting for open markets, and being passionate about fair competition then the person replacing Vestager later this year will be a nightmare to Apple. The election earlier this month gave nationalistic parties more votes. Trade protectionism is high on their agenda. Tim Cook shouting at Vestager has all the way been very unprofessional. You don't see him like that when working with communist dictatorships.

This is gobbledygook.

Forcing Apple to promote a competitor is nonsense, and investing CTF as though Apple has no right to profit from its IP is insanity at any level. It's the competitors who want unfair access to Apple's ecosystem without paying a thing. Vestegar and her cronies are looking to milk money and unfairly leverage Apple's success for its regional corporations.

It's utter horseshit.

Radio access. 

Why doesn't Apple shore off access to Wi-Fi and charge users for data transfer over cellular? 

That ship sailed before Apple could monetise it. Not unlike the carriers who missed the email and IM monetisation options too. 

The world is better off for it. 

Why does Apple not allow users to direct transfer by Bluetooth? 

Money is the answer. Not providing profile support for direct Bluetooth file transfers means you have to look for Apple only or Apple licenced solutions or some kind of kludge.

The same applies to NFC access. Apple wants you to use only its solutions and take a cut out of every financial transaction that travels over that. 

Of course NFC is not only used for financial transfers which is why it can be used to travel all over Barcelona's transport system using a phone - unless you have an iPhone. Because Apple has not given 'permission' for that.

Users could argue that having paid such a premium for a phone with the full gamut of radio access options that they should not be shackled to Apple only solutions.