A major iPhone upgrade is available to millions of people, but UK and US users are missing out
APPLE has rolled out its biggest iOS update yet and iPhone owners around the world are being encouraged to install it.
But there is one big change that will be missing for UK and US users.
iOS 17.4 brings a whole host of new features.
This includes a new Battery Health feature, a boost to Siri, and a range of bug fixes.
For customers in the European Union, this latest update will introduce alternative app stores – in addition to Apple’s own App Store – from which users can download various apps.
iOS 17.4: the biggest Apple change ever?
Apple has been forced to make some significant changes to its App Store rules in an effort to comply with new EU laws.
The EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) seeks to dismantle monopolies and so-called ‘gatekeeper services’.
The new laws also apply to Meta’s WhatsApp and Facebook messenger, which will also see a massive change.
It means that the Silicon Valley giant will soon allow alternative app stores on iPhones purchased in the EU.
This not only offers iPhone owners a new selection of free apps, but also lower costs in Apple’s official App Store.
Currently, iPhone users around the world can only download apps through Apple’s own App Store.
But the company has been accused of creating a monopoly in the app world by giving developers no choice but to go through the channels and pay for the privilege of doing so.
Apple charges developers up to 30 percent commission on all in-app purchases.
This regime has resulted in developers who either do not meet Apple’s standards or do not agree to pay the fees being banned from all Apple gadgets and their users.
It’s this rule that led to Fortnite being banned from the App Store in 2020 after developer Epic Games violated in-app payment guidelines
However, UK and US users will miss it for now.
What does this look like for EU iPhones?
Analysis by Millie Turner, Tech & Science Reporter for The Sun
For those in the EU, not much will change on the surface.
But under the hood, users get a new button in the Settings app to set their favorite alternative app store as the default app store if desired.
When using a third-party app store, users in the EU will receive a pop-up warning if an app contains malware.
There are also new screens to verify the information from an alternative app.
Apps distributed through Apple’s official App Store will pay a lower commission – about 17 percent less than before – which could pave the way for slightly cheaper apps and in-app items and features.
Meanwhile, apps distributed through alternative app stores receive no commission, suggesting that these apps could be priced even cheaper.
What iPhone users in the EU will now have to grapple with are the realities of so-called sideloading apps – which can often be malware Trojans.
Battery status improvement
As part of iOS 17.4, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro users will receive a refresh to the Battery Health page in Settings.
It shows users the number of battery cycles of their iPhone, next to the device manufacturer’s date.
And the iPhone battery cycle count is important because it indicates the lifespan of your handset.
Knowing the battery cycle can help you determine when to replace your battery.
According to Apple, “iPhone 14 and earlier model batteries are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity through 500 full charge cycles under ideal conditions.
“Batteries of iPhone 15 models are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity over 1,000 full charge cycles under ideal conditions.”
Siri upgrade
It looks like Siri’s language lessons are paying off too.
With iOS 17.4, Apple’s virtual assistant gets a new feature that allows it to read the messages you receive in more languages.
Previously, Siri could only announce texts in English.
But now he can speak German, Arabic, Spanish, Thai and more.
Can my iPhone download iOS 17.4?
Check out the list below to see if your iPhone is compatible with the latest update:
- iPhone XS / iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11
- iPhoneSE2
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 13
- iPhone SE3
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 15
This includes all Pro models.