450 Million iPhone Users Just Got Cut Off From the Best Apple Feature in Years — Here's Who's to Blame

Apple unveiled the most impressive version of Siri I've ever seen at WWDC 2026 this week. It's called Siri AI, it's powered by Google Gemini, it can see what's on your screen in real time, and it finally makes Siri feel like a genuinely useful assistant. I was excited. Then I remembered: 450 million people in Europe can't have it.

What Got Blocked — and It's Significant

Due to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple will not be launching Siri AI on iPhone or iPad in the EU when iOS 27 ships. That affects approximately 450 million users — by Apple's own estimate, this is the platform where more than 90% of all Siri interactions take place.

So the most transformative AI feature Apple has built in years won't be available to nearly half a billion people on the devices they use most.

Apple and the EU Are Blaming Each Other

This is where it gets complicated, because both sides have a point.

Apple says it tried to find solutions that would comply with the DMA's interoperability requirements. The DMA requires Apple to allow other virtual assistants to work on iPhones at the same level as Siri — meaning third-party assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa should be able to access the same deep system-level hooks that Siri AI uses.

Apple reportedly proposed several solutions over many months. The EU rejected all of them.

The EU's side: European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters that Apple never actually tried to meet the requirements. Instead, Apple asked for a blanket exemption from its interoperability obligations — essentially asking to be let off the hook entirely. The Commission says that's simply not an option under the DMA.

The Partial Carve-Out Makes No Sense

Here's what's strange: Siri AI will be available on Mac and Apple Vision Pro in Europe. Just not on iPhone and iPad. Which is the exact opposite of where most people use Siri.

This creates a bizarre situation where a European student can ask Siri AI to help them write an essay on their Mac, but not on their iPhone sitting right next to them. It's a distinction that will frustrate millions of users who will rightly wonder why their phone is missing features their laptop has.

This Is Also Happening in China

It's not just the EU. Apple is also not launching Siri AI in China, due to different but equally complex regulatory barriers. That means two of the biggest smartphone markets in the world — the EU and China — are getting a significantly watered-down iOS 27 experience compared to users in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere.

For Apple, this is a real commercial setback. Analysts have noted it as a near-term headwind for iPhone upgrade cycles in both regions, with Apple's stock taking a hit in the wake of the WWDC announcements.

What Happens Next

Apple says it's continuing to work with EU regulators to find a path to compliance. But given how long these negotiations have already taken, it seems unlikely that Siri AI will make it to European iPhones before iOS 28 — if ever.

The bigger question is whether the DMA is achieving what it was designed to do. The regulation was meant to increase competition and give European consumers more choices. But if the result is that the most advanced AI assistant on the planet simply doesn't show up on European phones, it's hard to argue that anyone won.

My Take

I think both sides are wrong here. Apple should have engaged more seriously with the DMA's requirements from the beginning rather than asking for an exemption. And the EU should have worked harder to find a technical framework that protects competition without blocking innovation entirely.

In the meantime, 450 million people are caught in the middle — and that's not okay. This is exactly the kind of regulatory gridlock that makes people distrust both Big Tech and Big Government at the same time.

What's your experience? Drop a comment below! 👇
If you're in the EU, are you frustrated about missing Siri AI on your iPhone? And who do you think is really to blame — Apple or the EU regulators?