This fall, the iPhone There are two big changes coming that break things down in ways never before thought possible: First, Apple Intelligence will only run on iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models, so the iOS 18 experience will vary depending on your hardware.
Secondly, the European Union receives its own iPhone updates that are completely unrelated to hardware or Apple Intelligence, which is available in the US and other countries but not yet available to supported devices in Europe.
We're talking about sideloading apps onto your iPhone, using third-party App Store alternatives, and replacing default iPhone apps with other options.
This EU iPhone experience is a “fun” experience, you would say. Perhaps this is the iPhone experience that Apple must dare offer worldwide sooner or later.
But I'm sure many iPhone users won't want a fun experience. As a European with access to a fun EU iPhone, I say this: I don't want any changes introduced to iOS because regulators want them to.
I've explained many times why sideloading on iPhones, third-party app marketplaces, and third-party payment systems are not my future. Sure, I could use them, but I won't. Instead, I want the security, privacy, reliability, and convenience that comes with letting Apple manage all of the app access and payments for the computer you use most in your life.
But we understand that other people, both in Europe and abroad, want that, and Apple should let them use the iPhone as they see fit. I agree with Apple's stance on sideloading the iPhone, but refusing to offer the EU iPhone experience to the rest of the world will only attract bad publicity and further attention from other regulators.
Delete default iPhone apps
Additionally, Apple also recently announced that iPhone users in the EU can now change the defaults for several apps on their iPhone, including the App Store, Messages app, Photos, Camera, and Safari.
I will never change these defaults, this all has to do with how I use my iPhone and how I want to use it in the future.
I will never remove the App Store and replace it with something else, and I don't think anyone else will either. Third-party app marketplaces will never have as many apps as the App Store. You will need the App Store for both downloading and updating apps.
When it comes to messaging, I have three types of contacts on my iPhone: people I talk to via iMessage, people I talk to via WhatsApp (or another third-party app), and people I talk to via multiple chat apps.
I rarely receive SMS texts — maybe notifications from delivery services or two-factor authentication codes — but I would never trust any company other than the device manufacturer to manage my default messaging, so I can't delete the Messages app either.
Of course, RCS is coming to iPhone too, but most of my contacts won't be able to reach me that way. You don't have to change anything to enable RCS other than flipping a switch.
Safari is my iPhone browser. It's the best choice for privacy-conscious people. No other browser comes close. I don't use Safari on my Mac for work, so there are syncing issues. But it's not as complicated as you'd think. I'm not giving up Safari on my iPhone.
Next up are the camera and photo apps. I will never remove these apps from my iPhone. Removing them from the defaults would be out of the question. This has to do with both privacy and functionality. I trust Apple with the security of my photos and their backup to iCloud and transfer to my Mac. Additionally, I've been keeping my eye on the capture button on the iPhone 16. Its functionality corresponds first and foremost to Apple's camera app.
I also think that having these apps as defaults from Apple would help Apple Intelligence work better on my iPhone and iPad, and of course I'd love to see a smarter Siri access my data and use the information it gathers to help me out.
My point is, Europe already has a fun iPhone and doesn't need to make any changes to it.
But just like with sideloading above, it’s understandable that some people would want to replace these apps with others, and I’m sure their arguments would be as valid as mine.
I also think the majority of people will stick with their current experience, but Apple shouldn't be afraid to bring a “fun” iPhone to all the markets it serves.