To comply with the Digital Markets Act, Apple has already made numerous changes to iOS for iPhones used in the European Union. And today, the Cupertino company continues to make concessions. In August, it announced new changes for iPhones and iPads in the EU, including the ability to remove certain pre-installed applications. And according to an article published by 9to5Mac, this feature will be available on the iOS 18.2 version of the operating system, which is currently being tested in beta.
New concessions from Apple to comply with the Digital Markets Act
As this site explains, it is already possible for users in the European Union to delete certain Apple applications, such as the calculator or the calendar. But soon it will also be possible to remove the App Store, Apple’s camera app and the Safari browser. Otherwise, Apple has also created a new menu that makes it easier to choose default applications for certain smartphone features. And it will be possible to choose a third-party application as the default application for calls and messaging. However, these two new features will not be reserved for EU users, but will be available everywhere in the world.
iOS 18.2: the update that includes ChatGPT
For the rest of the world, iOS 18.2 will also be an important update, since it will bring new Apple Intelligence features to compatible products. And among the new Apple Intelligence features that will be available on iOS 18.2, there is the integration of ChatGPT with Siri. As a reminder, this integration allows the user to interact with OpenAI models using Siri, instead of going through the official application. And if a person has a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription, they should be able to enjoy the benefits of that subscription through Siri.
But unfortunately, Apple is still blocking the release of Apple Intelligence in the European Union. Indeed, the Cupertino company must first ensure the compliance of this product with the Digital Markets Act before launching it in the European Union. And at the moment, we do not know exactly when this blockage will be lifted.
- While it has already modified its operating system for Europe, Apple is preparing to make new concessions
- The firm has just released the beta version of iOS 18.2 and, among the new features of this version, there is the possibility, in the European Union, of removing the App Store and Safari
- Apple will also allow you to choose another app as your default app for messaging and calling, but this change will apply globally and therefore not limited to the EU
- Otherwise, iOS 18.2 will allow Apple Intelligence users to benefit from ChatGPT integration with Siri
- But for the moment, the deployment of Apple Intelligence is still blocked in the EU
