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During the latest WWDC24, Apple revealed its suite of AI-powered features. Although several will arrive next year, users will receive some key ones in September. However, it seems that customers in the EU will have to wait a little longer, as the company confirmed a delay in the rollout of Apple Intelligence.
The EU has the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with regulations that companies must comply with to operate in member countries. The DMA has forced Apple to make some big changes to its business model. For example, discarding its own Lightning port in favor of the USB-C standard. Also to allow third-party app stores on iOS. The goal of the legislation is to guarantee a fairer market for all participants and avoid monopolistic practices.
Apple confirms a delay for the Apple Intelligence rollout in the EU
Apple has been one of the companies most affected by the DMA, and it seems that its AI-powered features are also struggling to comply. The company confirmed to the Financial Times a delay in the rollout of Apple Intelligence in the EU. There are other features affected by the delay, such as iPhone Mirroring, and SharePlay Screen Sharing. According to the Cupertino giant, they are working to make these services comply with DMA regulations.
Apple was going to start the global rollout, including EU countries, in September. While there is no exact new date for the rollout, Apple confirmed that it will not happen this year on the old continent. More specifically, the company spokesperson said “Due to the regulatory uncertainties brought about by the Digital Markets Act, we do not believe that we will be able to roll out three of these [new] features — iPhone Mirroring, SharePlay Screen Sharing enhancements, and Apple Intelligence — to our EU users this year.”
iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing also delayed
Apple Intelligence is the company’s suite of AI-powered features for iOS 18. It includes features such as Genmoji, Image Playground, and Writing Tools, among others. However, users in the EU will have to wait a few more months to enjoy them. Apple confirmed that the iPhone Mirroring feature will also not arrive on time. The latter will allow you to use your iPhone remotely from a Mac.
SharePlay Screen Sharing is the other feature that will not be available in September in the EU. This one is intended as a tool to facilitate remote assistance. It lets someone else control what happens on your screen using SharePlay. It is possible that users in the UK will receive all those features in September since they have not been part of the EU for years.
More DMA-related issues for Apple
This isn’t the only DMA-related difficulty Apple is facing. Currently, a commission is studying whether Apple is really complying with the law regarding third-party app stores. There are questions about whether Apple is being fair because of its latest fee scheme for developers.