iPhone 16 will be the most divisive phone Apple’s ever made — here’s why
Two very different experiences
The iPhone 16 series will bring us a lot of innovations when it is undoubtedly unveiled at Apple’s “Glowtime” event next week on September 9. But it is also likely to be the most controversial iPhone in Apple’s history, as for the first time, there will be different versions of the phone depending on where you buy it.
To be clear, Apple is still expected to announce four models: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. But after years of maintaining its famous “walled garden,” Apple has been forced to end that experiment in light of a new law passed in the European Union. That means users across the Atlantic seem set to enjoy a less restrictive experience than those in North America.
Give with one hand — take with the other
The European Digital Market Act (DMA) is a pro-competition law that states that big tech companies (known as “gatekeepers”) cannot lock their customers into certain hardware or software to promote competition. This is part of the reason why Apple moved away from Lightning and implemented USB-C on the iPhone 15 series. This means that the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro in Europe will be a completely different device than the one available in the US.
For example, in Europe, the iPhone 16 will arrive with a Default Apps section where users can uninstall any browser, messaging app, or payment platform and install another app of their choice. European users will also be able to install third-party app stores like AltStore that will allow them to easily reintroduce Fortnite to their iPhones.
Apple has refused for years to voluntarily make these changes, citing privacy and security risks associated with unlocking an iPhone. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple said it was “concerned that the DMA interoperability requirements could require us to compromise the integrity of our products in a way that would jeopardize user privacy and data security.”
This has very real implications for European iPhone 16 customers: Apple confirmed that it would not offer Apple Intelligence features in the region at launch. In June, Apple said in a statement: “Given the regulatory uncertainty caused by the Digital Markets Act, we do not believe we will be able to roll out three of these [new] features—iPhone Mirroring, SharePlay screen sharing improvements, and Apple Intelligence—to our users in the EU this year.”
Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI-powered tools, is one of the biggest reasons to upgrade this year. It’s likely why we’ll see an A18 or A18 Pro chip in new phones, not to mention the jump to at least 8GB of RAM. But since they’re billed as being tailored to each user, that’s a problem.
The DMA requires companies to share their data with third parties (so they don’t prioritize their own services), and Apple refuses to share it. So while European iPhone 16 users will get an unprecedented level of freedom with their iPhone, they won’t have access to the cutting-edge AI features that will likely be headlined on September 9.
What’s the price of freedom?
Which approach will resonate more with customers? Are people more interested in a locked-down iPhone with Apple’s latest and greatest software available from day one — or an unrestricted iPhone without access to its most valuable proprietary features?
Only time will tell, but this is shaping up to be one of the most interesting iPhone launches in recent years. You can follow all the latest speculation on our iPhone 16 rumor hub here.