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I would bet that a major driving reason for delayed release in the EU is not regulations, but simply linguistics. Localization is a huge effort, even more so ar

I would bet that a major driving reason for delayed release in the EU is not regulations, but simply linguistics. Localization is a huge effort, even more so around the types of AI features they seem to want to deliver. As a native Danish speaker - a relatively small language spoken by about 6 million people - Apple had by far the most cohesive and thorough localization story of any tech corporation. Google and Microsoft come really close, but I’ve never seen a single instance of awkward word choice, ambiguous grammar, sloppy punctuation, or imprecise phrasing in an Apple product. Anybody can do that in Spanish, German, or French, or any of the other major languages. My pet belief is that this is a big reason why Scandinavia, like the US, is dominated by iPhones, in contrast to the rest of Europe, where Android leads.

yurishimo 2y ago
This is a good point now that you mention it. I’ve found the Dutch translations and spoken voices on iOS to be outstanding. A few more people than Denmark, but in the scale of Apple, 6 vs 14 million is a rounding error. I think the relative wealth of northwest Europe also plays a role in the adoption of Apple hardware. Or at least it certainly helps.
- simonask 2y ago
  Yeah the obvious hole in my pet theory is that there are lots of small languages in Europe, but purchasing power may explain it. I have no idea about the quality of Apple’s localization for Slovenian, Lithuanian, or Albanian, just to name a few.
- wkat4242 2y ago
  > I think the relative wealth of northwest Europe also plays a role in the adoption of Apple hardware. Or at least it certainly helps. Definitely. IPhone here in Spain means tourist or expat :) It's just that most people buy budget phones here. A category in which apple doesn't even compete. The SE is decidedly mid-range (upper mid range in pricing terms even, it's a lot more expensive than in the US) Also I think people here care less about spelling. There isn't that cultural attention to detail that the northern countries have. Compare an average street in Denmark or Holland with Spain, where fibre cables hang in a huge spider from facades, streets have potholes, paint is falling off everywhere. People here don't really care about that stuff (and I would agree)
  - simonask 2y ago
    I mean, sure, there may be cultural differences, but let's not ignore how Spain as a country has been fucked by successive rounds of people in power making self-centered decisions, not to mention the relatively recent liberation from literal fascists. I think Spain would fix its potholes the moment it could afford to make that a priority.

yurishimo 2y ago

This is a good point now that you mention it. I’ve found the Dutch translations and spoken voices on iOS to be outstanding. A few more people than Denmark, but in the scale of Apple, 6 vs 14 million is a rounding error. I think the relative wealth of northwest Europe also plays a role in the adoption of Apple hardware. Or at least it certainly helps.

simonask 2y ago
Yeah the obvious hole in my pet theory is that there are lots of small languages in Europe, but purchasing power may explain it. I have no idea about the quality of Apple’s localization for Slovenian, Lithuanian, or Albanian, just to name a few.
wkat4242 2y ago
> I think the relative wealth of northwest Europe also plays a role in the adoption of Apple hardware. Or at least it certainly helps. Definitely. IPhone here in Spain means tourist or expat :) It's just that most people buy budget phones here. A category in which apple doesn't even compete. The SE is decidedly mid-range (upper mid range in pricing terms even, it's a lot more expensive than in the US) Also I think people here care less about spelling. There isn't that cultural attention to detail that the northern countries have. Compare an average street in Denmark or Holland with Spain, where fibre cables hang in a huge spider from facades, streets have potholes, paint is falling off everywhere. People here don't really care about that stuff (and I would agree)
- simonask 2y ago
  I mean, sure, there may be cultural differences, but let's not ignore how Spain as a country has been fucked by successive rounds of people in power making self-centered decisions, not to mention the relatively recent liberation from literal fascists. I think Spain would fix its potholes the moment it could afford to make that a priority.