Garmin delighted – EU to force Apple iOS to open up its smartwatch ecosystem.

One of the primary reasons I believe Garmin will ultimately fail as a smartwatch company is its inability to work deeply with an iPhone. As Garmin struggles to work around its limitations, the Apple Watch will progressively encroach on its sportswatch dominance.

Well. The EU has just thrown a massive bomb in the direction of Apple. 9 bombs, to be more precise. This article considers the positive impact that each one may have on Garmin. The legal change proposed by the EU is highly strategic for the smartwatch industry, and it’s not one of those events that becomes an issue in the distant future; the EU is mandating that some of the features go into beta this year (2025).

More: Europa.eu

Apple is not happy.

Today’s decisions wrap us in red tape, slowing down Apple’s ability to innovate for users in Europe and forcing us to give away our new features for free to companies who don’t have to play by the same rules. It’s bad for our products and for our European users. We will continue to work with the European Commission to help them understand our concerns on behalf of our users [Apple]

Q: What are the proposed changes to the Digital Markets Act (2025)

Following consultation in 2024, the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) addresses these nine areas of interoperability

1. Notification Display: Allow smartwatches to display notifications from iPhones.
2. Background Execution: Allow third-party devices to run processes in the background without an open app.
3. Automatic Audio Switching: Allow headphones to switch audio sources automatically.
4. High-Bandwidth Peer-to-Peer Wi-Fi Connections: Allow faster local data transfers between devices.
5. Close-Range Wireless File Transfers: Provide alternatives to AirDrop file sharing.
6. Media Casting: Allow casting of media content like AirPlay.
7. Near-Field Communication (NFC): Allow deeper NFC functionalities.
8. Proximity-Triggered Pairing: Simplifying the setup process for peripherals.
9. Automatic Wi-Fi Connections: Allow automatic switching to known Wi-Fi networks.

Some of those will offer Garmin profound opportunities, others more peripheral ones. Let’s look at examples of each

iOS Notifications: This feature allows connected devices like smartwatches to show and react to iOS notifications.

Currently, Garmin watches can display iPhone notifications with a lower interaction level than an Apple Watch. With enhanced access, a Garmin watch could directly interact with the iPhone to display richer notifications, including full images from messaging apps, and allow for more comprehensive reply options directly from the watch, similar to how an Apple Watch interacts with an iPhone. For example, a Garmin user receiving a photo via a messaging app could view the image directly on their watch screen and respond with a complete message using the new Garmin keyboard, i.e. more than just pre-set quick replies.

Impact: significant

Background Execution

Garmin could significantly enhance its health and fitness tracking features. For instance, a Garmin watch could continuously monitor blood glucose levels from a connected third-party sensor and send real-time data or alerts to the iPhone and the watch face without needing Garmin Connect to run.

Impact: significant

Automatic Audio Switching

Imagine listening to music as you move from working on a Mac, listening to Apple Music on your Homepod, donning your headphones and Garmin, retrieving your bike from the shed (Wi-Fi), and going for a ride. You keep listening to the streamed content as your Garmin fits into your device-agnostic listening experience. It switches the method it gets the audio files without you being aware of the changes. Bluetooth> Wifi> 5G.

Impact: Minimal, most likely, your ‘streamed’ playlist is downloaded in full to your Garmin once you start playing.

High-Bandwidth Peer-to-Peer Wi-Fi Device Connections

Garmin could enable the faster and more reliable transfer of software updates or workout data between a Garmin watch and an iPhone. This would be faster than a Bluetooth connection to your iPhone, potentially working over large distances on a Mesh Wi-fi network, and faster than a Wi-Fi upload to the web-based connect platform (and subsequent download to your iPhone’s connect)

Impact: Minimal. It would be an improvement, but the current Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connections are good enough for workout data and software/map updates

Close-Range Wireless File Transfers

Workout summaries, routes, leaderboards, or custom watch faces could be shared over AirDrop-like functions. Garmin Share does this somewhat but making the sharing mechanism an open standard could positively impact group activities and events.

Impact: Little improvement to Garmin (workout/route) Share.

Market Impact: significant. This could significantly enhance Garmin’s platform’s social and community aspects, especially interacting with those using differently branded watches. e.g. with Wahoo or Coros users. It could make doing sport truly social.

Media Casting as an alternative to AirPlay

While less directly applicable to watches, this could allow a Garmin workout on your watch to cast workout animations, instructions or metrics to a smart TV or other compatible display that supports alternative casting protocols.

Impact: Little

NFC Controller in Reader/Writer Mode

Garmin Pay allows users to make contactless payments using their watch but requires specific bank support. With access to the iPhone’s NFC in reader/writer mode, Garmin could allow its watches to interact with your iPhone’s Apple digital wallet. Effectively, a Garmin Watch could use any bank that currently supports Apple PAY – perhaps even acting as a payment mechanism for Apple PAY?

Impact: Significant

Proximity-Triggered Pairing

Pairing a Garmin watch with other devices and sensors could be made easier. The iPhone could automatically detect a new Garmin watch nearby and prompt the user with a simple “Connect Garmin Watch?” notification. Perhaps you could bring your Garmin close to Apple TV4K so the latter can easily access casted heart rate or workout data.

Impact: Some

Automatic Wi-Fi Connection

Garmin would have access to your authenticated Wi-Fi networks on your iPhone and automatically switch between them. No ongoing Wi-Fi setups would required on the Garmin.

Impact: Some

Take Out

The EU is committed to this change, and Garmin has already been part of the consultation process. Such significant changes are likely to be made globally, with the reach extending far beyond the EU.

Apple is clearly unhappy and wants to maintain its walled garden of features (monopoly!) for as long as possible. In my opinion, companies like Apple should be able to profit from their inventions and success; however, capitalism is not about creating a series of ever-larger permanent monopolies. Capitalism involves the rise and fall of companies as they succeed or fail. Maybe it is time for Apple to open up.

From the technical perspective, Garmin is aware of its Smart limitations. You can look at all the nine areas above and see that Garmin has made improvements toward many of them at some point. However, its improvements are always capped as they reach technical barriers. New Garmin features are good, yet there’s always a ‘but’ or a ‘meh’ somewhere as you use them and encounter limitations.

I’ve become more of a convert to the Apple ecosystem each year. In recent years, much more of the ‘magic’ has come from how its devices and services work together – one cool thing for me last year was bringing my iPhone close to my Apple TV 4K. Within one tap and a few seconds, my iPhone was a high-quality camera and microphone, fronting a family Facetime session on the big screen. Garmin’s magic has been on a much smaller scale, such as sharing a route before a group ride but feeling sorry for the person who didn’t have a Garmin device and couldn’t join in.

But that last example is perhaps a lesser one. The eyes are on the prize of opening the Apple iMessage ecosystem, which is not covered by this proposed legislation. If that happens, Garmin will have access to a route to become a proper smartwatch. However, what will Apple invent next? How long will it take for Garmin to access the next tranche of as-yet-unknown features?

The EU’s decision presents a significant opportunity for Garmin to enhance its smartwatches for iPhone owners, bridging the gap with the Apple Watch in several key areas.