iOS 26.5 introduces several interoperability changes for third-party wearables, which means European iPhone users have access to new capabilities when using non-Apple accessories. To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple is letting third-party wearables access some features that have historically been limited to the Apple Watch and AirPods. Proximity pairing - Third-party earbuds are able to use proximity pairing to connect to an iPhone, similar to the AirPods.
EU iphone users. Like the other features that they dont allow people to use, the location of your device (including app store) dictates what you are and are not allowed to use. In other words, yes, its purely software. There dont appear to be hardware diferences between iphones sold in EU and non-EU countries.