The EU now requires smartphone makers to include easy to read labels that indicate battery life and longevity, an IP rating, plus drop resistance and repairability scores for each new model. Those are great for consumers and, as it turns out, great for leaks – here is the label for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. The Z Fold7 will have a 4,400mAh battery, the same as its predecessor. The exact capacity is not on the label, but the expected battery life on a single charge is – 40 hours and 28 minutes. Additionally, the battery is rated for 2,000 charge cycles (while retaining at least 80% of its...
Users in the EU are still waiting for their iPhone mirroring on Macs, and they won't be getting the Live Activities feature anytime soon either, due to strict EU regulations under the Digital Markets Act. In a recent statement, Kyle Andeer, the president of Apple Legal, said that some of the upcoming iOS 26 features may be delayed for European consumers or might not arrive at all. There are even talks about EU users losing the AirDrop function. According to Apple, Europe's DMA is hurting the company as it requires it to share its technology with other parties. Additionally, the privacy...
Apple announced major updates to its App Store policies in the European Union yesterday under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) including new app distribution for EU-based developers and a new two-tier system for Store Services fees on purchases made outside of apps. EU devs are now free to advertise in-app offers for digital goods and services via external websites, other apps, and alternative app marketplaces. Developers can also include multiple URL destinations inside their apps with redirects and tracking. Apple’s notorious scare screens, which users see when they tap an external link,...
Starting June 20, manufacturers are required to sell their smartphones and tablets in the European Union (EU) with an energy efficiency label in the box. We don't know about the boxes, but with the regulation in effect, Apple has started displaying this label on iPhone and iPad's pages on its website in EU countries. If you visit an iPhone or iPad's main product page or purchase page, you'll see a colorful little icon, and upon clicking it, you'll see the energy label of that product. iPhone 16 Pro's product page on Apple Ireland's website • iPhone 16 Pro's purchase page on Apple...
Apple was hit with a €500 million fine by the European Commission (EC) back in April over breaches to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Cupertino has since appealed the decision. John Gruber from Daring Fireball shared Apple’s full official statement, which could signal a potential turning point for Apple users in the EU. At Apple, we design our technology to work seamlessly together, so it can deliver the unique experience our users love and expect from our products. The EU’s interoperability requirements threaten that foundation, while creating a process that is unreasonable, costly, and...
TikTok has just been handed a hefty €530 million ($600 million) fine in Ireland by the country's Data Protection Commission (DPC). The reason has to do with transfers of personal data of TikTok users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to China. The decision finds that TikTok infringed upon the EU's GDPR regulations regarding transferring EEA user data to China, and it also didn't uphold its transparency requirements regarding this. Along with the fine, TikTok is also required to bring its data processing into compliance with the GDPR within six months. Otherwise, its data transfers...
A new report from Reuters suggests that Apple will not be fined under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) for its default browser options on iOS and iPadOS. The investigation launched one year ago and is set to conclude on March 31 with Apple staving off any potential fines according to “people with direct knowledge on the matter”. Apple did comply with the DMA’s rules by offering a list of popular third-party browsers for first-time Safari users in Europe on iOS 17.4/iPadOS 18.2 or later. The initial browser choice screen promoted Safari over alternative browsers, which...
A new report from Reuters suggests that Apple will not be fined under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) for its default browser options on iOS and iPadOS. The investigation launched one year ago and is set to conclude on March 31 with Apple staving off any potential fines according to “people with direct knowledge on the matter”. Apple did comply with the DMA’s rules by offering a list of popular third-party browsers for first-time Safari users in Europe on iOS 17.4/iPadOS 18.2 or later. The initial browser choice screen promoted Safari over alternative browsers, which...
Apple faces more scrutiny under the European Union's Digital Markets Act. Cupertino has now received comprehensive guidelines for implementing interoperability, specifically regarding access to iOS notifications and alternatives for AirDrop and AirPlay. Future iOS devices must feature full access to the iOS notification system, background execution privileges, and system feature access. Currently, these capabilities are exclusive to Apple products like AirPods and Apple Watches, but they should also be opened to third-party manufacturers. Headphone manufacturers need access to...
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple considered making the iPhone 17 Air its first port-less device. Such reports are nothing new, we’ve been hearing about a wireless-only iPhone since at least 2019. Apple reportedly decided to keep the USB-C port for now, allegedly because it feared a port-less phone would be against EU regulations. That is not the case, however. European Commission press officer Federica Miccoli confirmed to 9to5Mac that a device that supports only wireless charging is perfectly within the rules: Yes. Since, such radio equipment cannot be recharged via wired...