The update includes new emojis, an improved security protocol for iMessage, and major tweaks to the App Store and contactless payment systems, in a series of massive changes for Apple's mobile platform. The changes are largely the company's response to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to create a fairer digital economy by eliminating unfair advantages that big tech companies have over businesses and consumers.
With iOS 17.4, third-party app developers in the EU will be able to provide alternative app marketplaces and offer app downloads outside of the iOS App Store, effectively breaking Apple's monopoly. To take advantage of this opportunity, developers must pass Apple's approval process and pay a “key technology fee” of 50 euro cents per install when the app reaches 1 million downloads per year. This assumption, along with an additional 27% commission, has led to strong complaints from companies like Spotify and Epic Games, and is under scrutiny by the European Union. The same applies to another very important change brought by iOS 17.4, which allows the use of alternative payment options for apps in the App Store that are “branded as third-party payments,” but Apple imposes strict conditions.
As for the alternative app stores that are expected to appear, the approval process may take some time. At least one business-focused app marketplace from Mobivention is scheduled to launch on March 7, while Epic has already announced that it will bring the Epic Game Store to iOS later this year. As it has become known in recent days, the software company MacPaw plans to officially launch the Setapp store in April.
Additionally, Apple is introducing new APIs that allow third parties to leverage the iPhone's NFC chip for contactless payment services, beyond Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, in the EEA.
Other very important changes – again due to DMA – relate to the possibility of using different browser engines other than Apple's webkit engine, which is expected to be exploited very soon with newer versions by Microsoft and Google who are developing the Edge and Chrome browsers respectively. Both apps rely on the Chromium engine and we expect to see more competition in this category as well.
The changes brought by iOS 17.4 do not include support for RCS messages from iMessage, which Apple announced at the beginning of the year, and it seems that they will appear with the arrival of iOS 18 next fall. However, iOS 17.4 doesn't “break” support for pwa (progressive web apps) apps as Apple originally intended, as the company then changed course 180 degrees. Consumer reactions as well as European Union reactions.
Details of the changes brought by iOS 17.4 according to Apple
Applications in the European Union
EU residents now have new options available regarding:
* Install apps from alternative app shopping platforms
* Install web browsers with alternative browsers
* Manage the default web browser when you open Safari for the first time
* Use alternative payment options for apps in the App Store that have a third-party payment label
Some options require support from the creator
Emoji
* New emojis of mushroom, palm tree, muslim, broken chain and moving head are available in the emoji keyboard
* 18 person emojis and body parts now have the ability to rotate left or right
Apple Podcast
* Transcripts allow you to follow the episode with featured text synced with audio in English, Spanish, French and German
* Now you can read the entire text of episodes, search for a word or phrase, tap text to play it from a specific point, and use it with accessibility features like text size, contrast increase, and VoiceOver
This update includes the following bug fixes and improvements:
* Music recognition lets you add recognized songs to your Apple Music playlists and library, as well as Apple Music Classical
* Stolen Device Protection supports the option to provide more security in all locations
* Battery status in Settings shows battery charge cycle, date of manufacture, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
* Fixes an issue where contact images sometimes appear blank in search
* Fixed an issue for dual SIM users where the phone number would change from primary to secondary, and was visible in a group where users exchanged messages
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