Apple is laying the groundwork for a controversial change with iOS 17, the next operating system for the iPhone. During WWDC 23, which starts June 5, the company will reveal how it will address support for multiple download stores.
At least it’s the message that Mark Gurman, well-known journalist for Bloomberg, brings out in his Power On newsletter.
iOS 17 the groundwork for iPhone change
Starting in 2024, the European Union wants Apple to comply with the Digital Markets Act. A legislation better known as the DMA. It ensures that Apple is required to support multiple download stores, such as the App Store, on the iPhone.
Apple was reportedly getting ready for this controversial change back in December. Starting this June, during the announcement of iOS 17, we will get to see how this ultimately plays out for the iPhone.
That will be a thing, by the way, because Apple has always opposed it since the arrival of the smartphone. The American company wants to pull the strings in this area to ensure user security. For example, by keeping out rogue applications.
As we see in the Google Play Store, for example, such control is clearly needed. So how Apple is going to handle it is quite interesting. After all, we can’t imagine the company simply abandoning it.
Who is Mark Gurman?
Mark Gurman is a technology journalist working at Bloomberg. He has been writing about Apple for more than a decade, previously worked for 9to5Mac and is among the most reliable sources. He is known anno 2023 mainly for his own newsletter: Power On.
What does the iPhone change to iOS 17 really mean?
Anyway, what exactly is going to change in iOS 17? We don’t know the exact plan of action, of course, but we do know what the DMA will take care of.
Microsoft is a good example to set. The company is not only known for Mac counterpart Windows, but also owns gaming company Xbox. In addition to game consoles, it also makes its own games and has an extremely popular streaming service up its sleeve with Game Pass.
It is this company that recently announced it was working on its own Xbox App Store for the iPhone. Consumers will be able to exclusively download games here, which means you’re not going to get in Apple’s App Store anymore. We are thinking of titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and Candy Crush.
So where you used to get these games from the App Store, now you will have to download a special store.
So this is that Xbox Series X refrigerator. (Image: Xbox)
Not the only pressure from the EU
By the way, it’s not the only aspect Apple has to change from the European Union, either. The Digital Markets Act was created after the company was forced to switch to USB-C.
So starting next year, Apple will not only have to offer multiple download stores on the iPhone, but the same device will no longer be allowed to charge using a Lightning port. So from then on, that will be done with USB-C.
