Apple is gradually changing the functioning of its ecosystem, especially in Europe, since the European Union itself has been demanding for some time that those of Cupertino, through lawsuits, open your systems further and stop reserving certain advantages only for your own products.
Due to this pressure and with the Digital Markets Act in hand, next update iOS 16.3 This seems to be one of the clearest results of Apple’s change. This translates to significant improvements for those who use other brands’ accessories with the iPhone.
The main new features of iOS 26.3
In other words, Apple will have to provide third-party manufacturers with access to similar features when using your own devices such as AirPods or Apple Watch. As reported MacRumorsone of the main new features of iOS 26.3 is the proximity matching.
This feature allows you to connect headphones to the iPhone by simply bringing them closer to the device and tapping the screen once, which until now was limited to AirPods. But with the new update, the Headphones from other brands can also use this method. Another improvement concerns the notice.
Third-party smartwatches with iOS 26.3 They will be able to receive notifications, see notifications and interact with themwhich was previously only possible with the Apple Watch. The company has a limitation: Notifications can only be sent to one device at a time. In other words, if they are activated on a watch from another brand, they are automatically deactivated on the Apple Watch.
Apparently, iOS 26.3 will arrive at the end of January 2026 with enhancements available exclusively in Europe. This represents an important step for both users and developers towards a more open ecosystem and no longer having to always choose products from the same brand to benefit from all the functions.
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