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Apple’s iOS 17.4 was released before March 6, and the first beta version of the new iPhone update is already available. The iOS 17.4 update is one of Apple’s biggest upgrades for iOS ever. Because this is a game-changer for iPhone users, not just those based in the EU.
Last week, I explained how Apple is introducing iOS sideloading in iOS 17.4 to comply with the EU regulation Digital Markets Act (DMA). There is no doubt that this is a game-changing move for EU users. For the first time ever, you will be able to download apps from alternative marketplaces.
Of course, Apple is unhappy with this forced iOS 17.4 move. Because this would shake up the very foundations of the iPhone maker. Since the launch of the iPhone more than 15 years ago, Apple has prided itself on its “walled garden” approach. Unlike rival Google, Apple owns the hardware, software, and operating system, and with that comes control over security and privacy.
Apple made this clear with the iOS sideloading announcement. Apple has taken safety measures, but starting with iOS 17.4, an EU user’s iPhone will be less secure.
What iOS sideloading means for the rest of the world
However, it’s important to realize that iOS sideloading for iOS 17.4 may be just the beginning. The UK is not part of the EU, but is preparing similar legislation that could force Apple’s hand domestically.
Additionally, it’s entirely possible that sideloading of iOS will eventually be possible worldwide. Currently, sideloading is only possible if his iPhone is jailbroken. And it’s not recommended unless you know what you’re doing. But with iOS 17.4, Apple is reluctantly building a whole new ecosystem that can easily be applied anywhere in the world beyond the EU.
In the name of security, Apple says sideloading in iOS 17.4 will only be possible through pre-approved app marketplaces. But conveniently, at least in theory, this creates a healthy ecosystem. “Apple’s overhaul of its iPhone software, App Store and Safari browser in the European Union is more than just a regional change,” Bloomberg’s Mark Garman wrote in the Power On newsletter. “This is a glimpse into the future of the platform, and one that the company will likely need to adopt globally.”
But at the same time, Gurman pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that the European Union only accounts for 7% of App Store revenue. “Now we have an answer as to why Apple won’t extend the changes to other markets (unless forced to).”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks the changes will likely be a disaster: on a recent earnings call, he called the App Store changes in iOS 17.4 “intrusive” and said developers The store added that it would not be surprised if it chose not to participate in the new app. But Meta is of course Apple’s rival. Zuckerberg was never meant to be complementary.
It’s hard to know what will happen as a result of the changes in iOS 17.4, but that’s what this move represents. iOS 17.4’s sideloading feature could be a blow to Apple’s walled garden, increasing pressure to change the game around the world.
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