Did you dream of it? Apple did it… quite late: Android users can in fact recharge their Navigo pass on their smartphone since October 2022. Why such a delay on Apple’s part? Whose fault is it ? Why do some subscriptions remain unavailable? Until when ? We answer all your questions in this article.
Can’t get to your job? It’s Steve Jobs’ fault
Apple has worked well on its communications: being the happy owner of an iPhone or an iWatch is a sign of prestige. Well, unless you depend on Parisian public transport to get to work. In 2024, however, it would be logical to be able to recharge your subscription via your phone. Owners of an Android device have had this luxury for over a year, but we had to wait until May 21 for Apple products.
The format war
For once, the public authorities have nothing to do with it. Île-de-France Mobilités, which manages public transport in the capital, has been fighting for a long time with Apple over iPhone subscriptions. If the American company is blocked, it is because of what we call the “format war”: you know, the same one that once opposed VHS and Betamax videocassettes. To be able to navigate Paris using a smartphone, you must use NFC technology. However, Apple wanted to promote Apple Pay, its own contactless payment system – at the cost, of course, of the incompatibility of its devices with NFC.
Why did Apple give in?
The answer in three words: the Olympic Games. Given the influx of travelers preparing to descend on Paris and the number of Apple users among them, continuing this blockage would have been detrimental to the image of the American company, or even pushed some of its customers to change their system. exploitation so as not to struggle in crowded public transport. Consequence: subscriptions useful to tourists were given priority. It is now possible to purchase transport tickets individually or in books of 10, daily passes or airport tickets. For weekly or monthly passes, you must go through the Île-de-France Mobilités app (the Apple Wallet does not yet offer them). On the other hand, if you need an annual pass, Liberté +, Imagin’R or a regional ticket, you will have to wait.
Wait, yes, but until when?
Île-de-France Mobilités has committed to offering all its subscriptions on Apple by… the end of 2025. Suffice to say that apple lovers have not finished queuing at the counter.