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EU wants iPadOS to give other styluses the same level of access as Apple Pencil

2024 November 4
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Better support for third-party styluses in iPadOS will come unless Apple chooses confrontation with the European Union (EU) and its Digital Markets Act (DMA).

“Apple must, among others, allow users to set the default web browser of their choice on iPadOS, allow alternative app stores on its operating system, and allow accessory devices, like headphones and smart pens, to effectively access iPadOS features,” the European Commission wrote in a press release.

“The Commission will now carefully assess whether the measures adopted for iPadOS are effective in complying with the DMA obligations,” it continues. “The Commission’s assessment will also be based on the input of interested stakeholders,” reads the statement.

If the Commission forces Apple’s hand, iPad will eventually give third-party styluses and earbuds the same level of access to the operating system as Apple Pencil. Otherwise, the company could face steep fines.

EU wants iPadOS to give third-party styluses and earbuds the same level of access as Apple Pencil and AirPods

Apple currently restricts third-party accessories in ways more than one and this has been hurting consumers no matter where they live. Its policy is why wireless headphones cannot offer AirPods-exclusive features on Apple’s platforms, such as seamless device pairing and switching. It’s also why third-party styluses don’t support features like pressure sensitivity or the double-tap gesture in any app.

DMA is a set of criteria that defines large platforms as gatekeepers to ensure a fair, open and more constable playing field for digital services. In Apple’s defense, it’s already complied with many requirements on the iPhone side of things.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on the other side of the pond will be watching how the whole DMA thing plays out. It’s entirely possible that regulators in the United States will follow the EU’s playbook and force Apple to apply the same changes domestically. In that case, Apple will almost certainly give up and expand the changes to other countries and regions to the benefit of all users.

iPadOS as a gatekeeper platform

Te European Commission designated iPadOS a gatekeeper platform in April 2024. Apple responded by adding more than 600 new APIs to iPadOS 17.4 to support features like alternative app stores for EU iPad owners, setting an alternative web browser as the default and similar.

The Commission also wants to regulate how iOS works with rival earbuds, smartwatches and headsets, saying Apple limits competition by not enabling all accessories the same level of access as the AirPods, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.

The Commission will define how iOS should allow third-party accessories to use features like wireless connectivity, pairing and notifications. It gave Apple six months to implement the changes or face fines that could go as high as ten percent of Apple’s annual revenue (or up to twenty percent for repeat offenders).

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2024/11/04/eu-ipad-apple-pencil-third-party-styluses-integration-digital-markets-act/

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