Could this be the end of the exclusive reign ofApple Pay for contactless payments on iPhone? According to sources close to the matter, Europe is preparing to give the green light to the opening of Apple’s “Tap to Pay” technology to its competitors. A decision that could reshuffle the cards in the mobile payments landscape on the Old Continent.
Deployed gradually for around two years in certain countries around the world, the Tap to Pay function has been available in France since the end of last year. Very practical, both for customers and for merchants, it allows you to transform your iPhone into an authentic payment terminal using NFC technology. Equipped with your smartphone, you can make purchases securely by simply bringing your phone closer to the one used by your seller. This contactless payment functionality nevertheless presents some limitations on European territory.
Indeed, until today, the Apple brand does not allow any application, apart from Apple Pay, to use the NFC technology of its iPhones. A situation that could soon change, according to a new report published by Reuters.
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Apple Pay: accused of monopoly, Apple should open its “Tap to Pay” technology
In 2022, the European Commission accused the Cupertino firm of anti-competitive practices with regard to its payment service. Implicated for “ dominant position in mobile wallet markets on iOS”, the Apple would have, according to Brussels, “ restricts competition for the benefit of Apple Pay, its proprietary solution “. The monopolistic operation of Apple Pay, in the crosshairs of the European Commission for many months, therefore deprives third-party applications of using the iPhone’s NFC technology.
Moreover, a few months later, the company Affinity Credit Union sued Apple for its lack of openness with regard to the iPhone’s NFC, accusing it of locking its devices to favor Apple Pay.
Earlier this year, the company led by Tim Cook said it wanted “ provide third-party developers in the European Economic Area with an option that will allow their users to make NFC contactless payments from their iOS apps, independent of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet “.
Soon the end of a two-year legal battle
According to a recent report published by our colleagues at Reuters, Apple’s proposal to open its payment system to competing solutions will soon be approved by the EU, thus avoiding a potential fine of up to 10% of its annual turnover. As reported to us by The Verge, this should also allow developers to have access to the iPhone’s Face ID technology. In this way, users could be authenticated, and therefore set the third-party applications of their choice as the default payment option.
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In all likelihood, Apple’s offer should be accepted next May, although the schedule may be subject to some changes between now and then. The Californian giant still has to make some adjustments following the various comments received from its competitors and customers. In any case, still according to the information gleaned by ReutersApple’s proposal should remain in force for a minimum period of 10 years.
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- A design that gains in elegance
- The disappearing notch
- Ultra bright screen
The iPhone 15 does better than its predecessor, and on every level! Equipped with a superb, very bright screen (but still 60 Hz), finally free of its notch, it is already establishing itself as a wonderful traveling companion for years to come.
More versatile than ever in photography, thanks to its new sensor offering 2x digital zoom which was sorely lacking in previous models, it clearly overshadows the iPhone 15 Pro. However, keep in mind that autonomy is a real stone in the shoe of this model, which makes us prefer the iPhone 15 Plus this year. Despite everything, we appreciate the move to USB-C, even if the USB 2.0 standard is far too dated.
The fact remains that Apple is making all the right choices this year to bring its “standard” range up to speed, where the Pro models tended to take too big a lead in terms of design as well as in terms of performance.
The iPhone 15 does better than its predecessor, and on every level! Equipped with a superb, very bright screen (but still 60 Hz), finally free of its notch, it is already establishing itself as a wonderful traveling companion for years to come.
More versatile than ever in photography, thanks to its new sensor offering 2x digital zoom which was sorely lacking in previous models, it clearly overshadows the iPhone 15 Pro. However, keep in mind that autonomy is a real stone in the shoe of this model, which makes us prefer the iPhone 15 Plus this year. Despite everything, we appreciate the move to USB-C, even if the USB 2.0 standard is far too dated.
The fact remains that Apple is making all the right choices this year to bring its “standard” range up to speed, where the Pro models tended to take too big a lead in terms of design as well as in terms of performance.
Sources: Reuters, The Verge
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