Last Friday, as I’ve done for years now, I found myself in the ritual of standing in line (not more than 10 mins) to see the new iPhone.
We’ve all heard the familiar refrain: Apple’s just recycling the same old stuff. And sure, there’s some truth to that. Innovation in phones has hit a plateau, which makes sense—it can’t always be fireworks.
Yet, when I finally got my hands on the new iPhone, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this one took an even smaller leap than usual. More like a skip, really.
Why? There’s a meme floating around online that cuts to the heart of it:
Apple’s will not roll out its AI—its so-called “Apple Intelligence” and not “Artificial”(!)—in the EU. The same AI supposed to be the big thing this year, with some nice features soon to be released worldwide.
It won’t be in the EU not because Brussels banned it someway, but due to Apple’s “regulatory concerns” tied to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU’s grand effort to make digital markets more open and competitive.
In plainer terms? Apple’s being vague, to say the least. They’ve said that the “the interoperability requirements of the DMA could force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that risk user privacy and data security.” But they haven’t offered any concrete examples to back that up.
Artifacts managed to talk to a senior Apple employee, though the details were thin. The hint? The company might run into trouble because, right now, the list of external AI providers is short (basically just OpenAI), and it’s unclear if that will change anytime soon.
Therefore, as iPhone users won’t have much control over what AI providers to use, Apple would be stifling competition and users’ choice.
More precisely, there would be a problem also for interoperability—one of the DMA’s key goals aimed at breaking down the walls between online services.
Think of being able to message from WhatsApp to Telegram, for example. That’s the DMA in action.
So yes, the iPhone feels like more of the same. But the real story is bigger than just Apple.
For once, we can confidently say, “The EU lacks innovation because of regulation”—but not in the usual sense. It’s not that we’re failing to create or develop technology; it’s that we’re simply not receiving it.
One may even question whether we actually want this kind of innovation. It’s fair to assume regulations exist to protect us from things we don’t want. And that, therefore, maybe we’re fine without it.
Still, this is part of a larger trend: tech companies are starting to withhold features or services from Europe. This also raises eyebrows about consumer protection as well as questions the strength of the so-called “Brussels Effect”, the EU’s ability to set global standards.
Fewer answers, more thoughts, and plenty to chew on in today’s Artifacts.
The Story
The clash over Apple’s closed systems has been a recurring theme in its history. Even the two co-founders & Steves—Jobs and Wozniak—argued about it, with Jobs ultimately winning out.
Steve Jobs made it clear he preferred closed systems, not to chase profit, but because “we want to make great products, not crap like Android.” He believed in tightly controlling hardware and software to “create a seamless and unique user experience”
If you’ve ever tried using AirDrop, you’ve likely noticed this—especially when your Android-using friend gets left out.
Yet, if you use AirDrop, you can see that there’s an economic upside too. Apple’s closed ecosystem encourages users to stay locked in, buying more and only Apple devices.
And that’s exactly what the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to challenge—making sure Android and Apple users aren’t cut off from each other’s ecosystems.
We saw this play out last year when Apple switched to a USB-C charger from lightning worldwide, thanks to an EU directive.
The tech world hailed it as a win for the “Brussels Effect”—an EU rule causing global change, with Apple quietly adapting across the board.
The assumption (never confirmed, tough) was that Apple found it easier and cheaper to make one version of the iPhone for everyone.
Yet, the Brussels Effect seems not to hold here with AI. While hardware is hard to customise regionally, software - and therefore AI - is flexible.
This is a new, interesting, turn: this time, Apple is rolling out two different versions of its operating system. The same iPhone will have different features depending on where it’s sold and used.
This shift suggests not only that the Brussels Effect has less sway over software but also that Apple isn’t backing down. We saw something similar with Meta, which chose not to release its latest AI model and features in Europe, citing regulatory concerns.
The walls are still up—for now.
The DMA is proving to be a tough challenge for Apple, which is now under scrutiny for blocking developers from informing users about cheaper options outside the App Store, making it difficult to install alternative app stores, and limiting integration with non-Apple devices.
This is, in many ways, the natural consequence of a regulation like the DMA. It’s trying to reshape how tech companies operate, pushing them to rethink their systems and make substantial changes.
As expected, this has led to friction, with Apple either finding clever (sometimes sneaky) ways to comply or holding back features—like its AI—altogether to avoid scrutiny.
In the end, it’s the users who feel the impact. We could either enjoy a more flexible and funnier iPhone (as The Verge claimed) with greater choice, thanks to the DMA, or end up with a less exciting device because of the very same regulation.
For now, this is where things stand. Apple says it’s working on bringing its latest innovations to Europe, so we’ll see if the European iPhone actually gets better.
Save for Later
A new must-read for tech policy nerds just dropped. Artifacts will dive into it soon.
Why content moderation is a chaotic and risky business—especially for the moderators themselves. Told through a play.
How Telegram became one of the most dangerous platforms out there. But now, they’re trying to clean up their act.
Mr. Draghi didn’t hold back on his criticism of European innovation. Oh, and there’s a chatbot mimicking him now.
Kamala Harris shares her thoughts on tech in a short but sweet clip.
Google wants us to time travel. Seriously.
Apple says the latest iPhone is the best one yet—for the 16th year straight :)
🟢 Join the Artifacts Community on WhatsApp to get other Save for Later content!
The Bookshelf
Whatever your take on the Apple vs. EU showdown, “Make Something Wonderful” is a must-read to understand how we got here. It offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Apple, featuring Steve Jobs in his own words—letters, messages, emails—giving deep insight into the man and the company’s evolution.
📚 All the books I’ve read and recommended in Artifacts are here.
Someone said this before
“Competition is not just about protecting markets and technologies of today but the innovations of tomorrow”. - I heard this somewhere but can remember where.
Nerding
Looking for a one-stop marketplace for AI tools? Poe is the app you need. It brings together ChatGPT, Claude, Le Chat, and more—all in one smart, super useful platform.
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