Apple Watch to Drop Key Health Feature in EU as DMA Sacrifice

Apple Watch to Drop Key Health Feature in EU as DMA Sacrifice

1. Brussels vs. the Wrist: Why ECG Is on the Chopping Block

The European Commission’s latest “interoperability specification” singles out the Apple Watch’s electrocardiogram (ECG) stream as a gate-keeper function that must be offered to competing smart-watches “on equal terms”. Apple argues the 1-lead ECG waveform is processed inside the Secure Enclave, never leaves the device un-encrypted, and cannot be handed to third-party kernels without exposing raw heart-beat data—something Cupertino refuses to do. Result: rather than open the sensor vault, Apple will simply pull the plug.

2. watchOS 10.4 – What Actually Disappears

Starting 12 December 2025, European users updating to watchOS 10.4 will find:

• The ECG app icon removed from the honey-comb grid

• On-wrist AFib notifications downgraded to “irregular rhythm” alerts based on optical HR only

• PDF ECG exports disabled for EU Apple IDs, even when travelling abroad
  The hardware sensor remains intact; Apple insists the move is firmware-only and reversible if the DMA text changes.

3. A Precedent Already Set – iPhone Mirroring & Live Translation

ECG is not the first casualty. Apple has already withheld iPhone Mirroring, Live Translation for AirPods and Maps’ “Visited Places” from EU customers for the same reason: Brussels demands identical APIs for third-party hardware before Apple can ship features to its own. The Commission’s stance: “Users should not be locked into one ecosystem to get the smartest functions.”

4. Security Argument – Why Apple Says Sharing Breaks the Promise

Apple’s white-paper shows the ECG output is matched against 200 k AFib signatures stored on-device; only a boolean risk flag is ever shared with HealthKit. Re-engineering the pipeline to stream raw I/O to rival watches would:

• Require a new encrypted transport Apple does not control

• Force re-certification under EU MDR Class-IIa medical rules

• Create a surveillance target—heart-beat data is biometric gold

• Cupertino therefore labels the request “technically infeasible without gutting privacy.”

5. Consumer Impact – 6 Million Wrists Affected

Statista estimates 6.1 million Apple Watch users in the EU have logged at least one ECG since 2019. Many rely on the feature to manage diagnosed AFib. Cardiologists warn that optical-only fallback has 12 % lower sensitivity compared with the electrical lead. Patient groups have written to the Commission asking for a health-exemption, but regulators say “interoperability outweighs vendor-specific medical benefits.”

6. Work-Arounds – Will They Work?

• Switch region to U.S. → Blocked by geofenced Apple ID

• Keep watchOS 10.3 → Loses security patches after 90 days

• Buy Watch outside EU → ECG app disappears once EU iPhone pairs
  In short, no legal workaround exists inside the Single Market.

7. What Happens Next – Timeline & Politics

Apple has appealed the March 2025 interoperability instructions; court hearings start Q2-2026. If Apple wins, ECG could return via a server-side flag. If Cupertino loses, expect additional sensor pull-outs: blood-oxygen (SpO₂) and wrist-temperature streams are next on Brussels’ list. Meanwhile, competitors such as Samsung and Fitbit have already filed access requests for the raw ECG API, arguing they can deliver “equally secure” implementations.

8. Bottom Line – Innovation Tax or Fair Play?

The DMA’s intent is to loosen Apple’s “walled garden,” but the immediate effect is a deleted medical tool for millions. Whether the EU will accept Apple’s privacy hill or offer a carve-out for certified health hardware remains the 6-million-heartbeat question.

Sources

• DMA.org.uk – The Perils of the New Apple Watch, 2015-03-19
  

• TechCrunch – EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions, 2025-03-19
  

• The Verge – Apple warns of more feature delays in Europe, 2025-09-25
  

• Daring Fireball – Apple Appeals EU’s March Ruling on Interoperability, 2025-06-02
  

• Apple Newsroom – The Digital Markets Act’s impacts on EU users, 2025-09-24