Europe

Apple has announced an additional 1 billion euros investment in German engineering over the next six years as part of its Silicon Design Center expansion in central Munich. Apple says the investment will go towards the design and construction of a "state-of-the-art research facility" at Seidlstrasse, where Apple's R&D teams can "come together in new ways, enhancing collaboration and...

Following its new HomePod announcement on Wednesday, Apple has quietly bumped up the price of its HomePod mini in several European countries. In the European Union, Apple has added €10 to the original €99 price in Austria, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The price increase was spotted in France by iGeneration. The EU price rise now matches or approximately reflects the...

Apple today announced it has launched its self-service repair program in Europe, extending the program beyond the United States for the first time. Customers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK can now purchase genuine Apple parts, and consult repair manuals, through the Apple Self Service Repair Store. Apple says customers who wish to complete their own...

The European Union today gave final approval to legislation that will force technology companies like Apple to switch to USB-C across a wide range of devices. Outlined in an official press release, the European Council today gave the European Parliament's common charger directive approval, finalizing the legislative procedure that will make a USB-C port mandatory across a wide range of...

After what may have seemed like an endless wait for Sky customers in the U.K. and elsewhere across Europe, the Sky Go app is now available to download on Apple TV. The availability of the Sky Go app means that subscribers will be able to stream live Sky's broadcast content on their Apple TV HD and ‌Apple TV‌ 4K devices, rather than having to rely on Sky's set-top box or the equivalent app on ...

Amazon is increasing its Prime membership subscription prices across Europe in September by up to 43% a year, the company has announced just days before its Q2 earnings results. In an email to customers, Amazon said the annual Prime subscription price will increase by 20% in the United Kingdom from £79 to £95 from September 15. Customers in France will face a 43% increase from 49 euros...

European Union lawmakers have approved landmark legislation to heavily regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other big tech firms. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) were proposed by the European Commission in December 2020. Now, collected in a "Digital Services Package," the legislation has been formally adopted by the European Parliament and seeks to address...

The European Union has reached a landmark agreement to force a wide range of consumer electronics, including the iPhone and AirPods, to feature a USB-C port for charging by fall 2024. In a press release, the European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection announced that it has reached an agreement to introduce a law to make USB-C the common charging port across a...

Members of the European Parliament this week voted overwhelmingly in support of legislation that will compel Apple to offer a USB-C port on all iPhones, iPads, and AirPods in Europe. The proposal, known as a directive, will force all consumer electronics manufacturers who sell devices in Europe to ensure that all new phones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld...

European lawmakers have provisionally agreed upon a new law that would force Apple to allow user access to third-party app stores and permit the sideloading of apps on iPhones and iPads, among other sweeping changes designed to make the digital sector fairer and more competitive. The European Council and European Parliament said on Friday they had reached a political agreement on the...

The European Commission is planning to charge Apple with anticompetitive behavior with regards to Apple Pay, since it is the only payment service that can use the iPhone's Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip, Reuters reports. EU antitrust investigator Margrethe Vestager has been investigating ‌Apple Pay‌ since June last year, but the European Commission has since centered its focus on the...

Apple may be forced to remove the Lightning port from the iPhone in favor of USB-C, according to legislation expected be presented by the European Commission next month, Reuters reports. The legislation would establish a common charging port for all mobile phones and other relevant devices in all European Union countries. The move is expected to primarily affect Apple, since many popular...

Apple has opened orders for its Beats Studio Buds on the other side of the Atlantic, with the wireless earbuds now available in several European countries including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Additional retailers like Amazon and John Lewis are also selling them. Launched in the U.S. and Canda last month, Beats Studio Buds feature a compact round design without any ...

Apple has published a new video to its official regional YouTube channels for European countries that focuses specifically on the new privacy features coming with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. The video, simply titled "Privacy," opens with CEO Tim Cook speaking to the camera and explaining Apple's long-standing stance on the topic: At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right. We work ...

Apple has been found to be in breach of EU competition law with Apple Music, according to the preliminary findings of the European Commission. The charges relate to a two-year-old antitrust dispute initiated by Spotify. The European Commission was expected to bring charges against Apple over concerns that its App Store rules break EU competition law this week, and ahead of a formal verdict,...

The European Commission will this week bring charges against Apple over concerns that its App Store rules break EU competition law, reports the Financial Times. The charges relate to a two-year-old antitrust dispute with Spotify. Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition chief, will late this week publicly issue charges against Apple over concerns that the rules it sets for developers on its...

Apple says its App Store now supports more than 330,000 jobs in the U.K., a 10% increase over the past year, despite the pressures of the global health crisis on the nation's economy. According to Apple, 2020 was a "breakthrough year" for the iOS app economy, with developers in the U.K. generating more than £3.6 billion in total earnings, which represents 22% in growth compared to the...

Apple will make Munich its European Silicon Design Center, the company announced today. Work already being undertaken by Apple in Bavaria's capital is contributing to its custom Apple silicon designs, while the expansion, together with additional investment in R&D, will exceed 1 billion euros in the next three years. Apple says the new state-of-the-art facility will bring hundreds of new...

EU regulators are in the process of finalizing a charge sheet against Apple, initiated by an antitrust complaint from Spotify (via Reuters). In 2019, Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that Apple enforces App Store rules that "purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience," accusing the company of "acting as both a player...

More than a month ago, LG's 24-inch 4K UltraFine display was removed from Apple's online store across Europe. Now, the higher-end 5K, 27-inch UltraFine display has also been removed from Apple's online store in several European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK. Interestingly, both the 4K and 5K UltraFine displays remain listed and available for order...