> during iOS setup, don't pick Japan or the EU as your region (extra regulatory checks the VM can't satisfy)

I'm curious what are these checks

It will be to prevent access to third-party app stores as both the EU and Japan legislated they must be allowed.

> In a support document about alternative app marketplaces in the EU, Apple explained that “device eligibility for alternative app marketplaces is determined using on-device processing with only an indicator of eligibility sent to Apple.” In practice, iOS users in the EU who want to install alternative marketplaces will need to set the country or region of their Apple ID to an eligible country or region. Moreover, they will also need to be physically located in supported EU countries.

> In the case iOS users in the EU leave eligible regions, Apple will offer a “grace period” until apps downloaded from alternative app stores can no longer be updated. “If you’re gone for too long, you’ll lose access to some features, including installing new alternative app marketplaces. Apps you installed from alternative app marketplaces will continue to function, but they can’t be updated by the marketplace you downloaded it from,” the company explained.

https://www.thurrott.com/apple/298862/apple-adds-some-condit...

▲

dingdongditchme 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Wait so a third party app-store is allowed in the EU? I was not aware these even existed...

▲

aaronbrethorst 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Since 2024: https://www.macstories.net/news/altstore-is-now-available-in...

https://altstore.io

▲

DANmode 6 hours ago | parent [-]

Any working way to spoof your locale to trick this into any form of usability?

	▲	surajrmal 5 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		You need to fake the cell towers and change your accounts billing address. It's not trivial.
	▲	aaronbrethorst 6 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I have never tried. I'm sure there are some reddit threads about this though.

▲

xkgt 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It is wild that Apple finds it cheaper to build and maintain different App store behaviors than to simplify and make alt app stores available in all markets. Other governments/markets don't care?

▲

benoau 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It's a very slow process, first there is investigations, then legislation, then enactment, then enforcement which is separately a very slow process. It requires a lot of willpower to get and keep the ball rolling and in fact nobody has even achieved the full extent of what they require yet! The EU may still be years away from meaningful compliance, Japan has only taken baby steps forming a new bureau just to enforce compliance of two companies widely accused of malicious compliance.

And then there is additional discouragement and pressure in the form of sanction and trade deal threats for regulating American tech platforms.

	▲	exe34 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> And then there is additional discouragement and pressure in the form of sanction and trade deal threats for regulating American tech platforms. What people don't realise is that local companies aren't just competing with each other, they're competing against the US military.

▲

surajrmal 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Who said it's cheaper?

▲

tonyhart7 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

"Other governments/markets don't care?"

its the least of their problems

▲

grim_io 6 hours ago | parent [-]

There's an endless supply of bodies of water to be renamed.

	▲	tonyhart7 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Tel Aviv would be proud for your government

▲

amelius 10 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'm tired of Apple and its stupid rules, and its arrogant assumption that it is better than a democracy.

▲

astafrig 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In addition to the third-party installation capability mentioned by siblings, Japan also has a regional capability for reassigning the side button to a third-party voice assistant (`com.apple.developer.side-button-access.allow`).

▲

ajaieadad9 3 hours ago | parent [-]

I also found out the Chinese version has the ability to block an app for accessing both mobile data and Wifi/WLAN data.

All other versions only allow denying mobile data to an app, not Wifi.

I really wish there was a way to enable this feature.

	▲	TalkingCodeMonk an hour ago \| parent [-]
		This is a strong indicator that Apple's privacy claims are little more than a virtue signal. Network sandboxing an app is arguably the strongest privacy protection measure possible.

▲

rootnod3 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

For Japan it might be the Felica chip.

▲

koito17 6 hours ago | parent [-]

That would surprise me. I don't recall having to change my iPhone's region after moving to Japan. Transport IC cards in Apple Pay have "just worked".

I am vaguely aware that some phone manufacturers silently remove certain NFC hardware (or disable some driver) in order to avoid paying Sony patent fees. Apple doesn't seem to do that, though.

	▲	robert-boehnke 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		There were iPhones with Japan-specific hardware for transit cards in the past but as of a couple years ago, all iPhones have been compatible.