With the launch of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, Apple has taken its first steps into the next generation of smartphones, but Tim Cook and his team won’t be able to deliver the benefits to everyone who wants them. Thanks to the impact of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Apple has taken the drastic decision to remove its generative AI software suite—the clunkily backronymed Apple Intelligence—from every iPhone in Europe. It refuses to release the software to the European user base without clear guidance from the regulatory authorities. Europe has seen steady sales of the iPhone over the last three years; 56.1 million units in 2021, 56 million in 2022 and 56.8 million in 2023. That’s between half and two-thirds of US sales. The loss of the European market to Apple Intelligence will not have an immediate impact; the software will support a minimal set of languages when available with the first update limited to US English, and sections of the suite delayed until Q1 2025. Nevertheless, the decision leaves Apple at a disadvantage today. The first public release of Apple’s generative AI tools will take place in October and consist of only a few features. The first notable release will be in December, including emojis created from generative AI routines, image editing capabilities, and the first use of ChatGPT. The complete integration throughout iOS 18, including Apple INtelligence working within the voice-activated Siri digital assistant, will not occur until March 2025. Of course, European iPhone users will see none of these upgrades, whether they are existing iPhone 15 Pro owners or those who buy any one of the four new iPhone 16 family.

Full report : Confusion in the European Union laws force Apple to strip the latest iPhone iteration of its Apple Intelligence.