The Apple Pencil Pro is an integral part of the Apple iPad Pro experience, offering exclusive features like magnetic charging and a hover function that are absent in third-party styluses. But this dominance might soon face a shake-up in the European Union.
In recent years, the EU has pushed Apple to implement significant changes, like equipping the iPhone 16 with a USB-C port and enabling users to download apps from third-party stores along with setting alternative browsers and camera apps as defaults. These moves were part of efforts to enhance consumer choice and market competition.
April 2024 marked another turning point with iPadOS being identified as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act, alongside iOS. While Apple has already adapted several iOS modifications to iPadOS, the winds of further change are blowing. However, Apple’s recent compliance report made no mention of broadening third-party alternatives for the Apple Pencil, though the European Commission has stressed that pertinent iPadOS features should be accessible to other stylus brands.
Currently, while the market is filled with various styluses that claim iPad and iPad Pro compatibility, Apple’s proprietary features like the hover functionality—which detects the stylus’ proximity to the screen before it makes contact—and magnetic attachment for charging are exclusive to its Pencil. Apple doesn’t support broader industry standards like MPP 2.0, limiting these advanced functions to their own device.
The European Commission is meticulously examining Apple’s compliance efforts. They will soon deliver a decision on whether Apple’s changes align with the Digital Markets Act requirements or if they need to make further adjustments.
This ongoing dynamic between Apple and the EU could redefine user experience on the iPad, making room for diverse options and heightening competition that benefits consumers with more choices and innovative features.
