By now, it is no secret that Google annually pays Apple billions to keep its search engine as the default one for a multitude of devices. Unfortunately, that deal could go up in smoke, as Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that the advertising giant is a monopolist that deliberately stifles competition, which includes Microsoft’s Bing.
However, the monetary deal between the technology giants appears to be a symbiotic relationship, as an Apple executive said that there is no meaningful alternative to Google’s search engine. He also commented on Microsoft, stating that the entire company could be sold to the iPhone maker, and it would still not be enough.
Microsoft attempted to hold talks with Apple several years ago about acquiring Bing, but nothing materialized
Google has been accused multiple times of breaking antitrust laws after paying Apple gigantic sums of money. In 2021, court documents revealed that the company gave Apple a mammoth $26 billion to maintain its search engine as the default across various devices. The Cupertino giant has previously been reported to be working on its own search engine, but the billions it receives from Google would bury any encouragement it accumulated for these plans.
As reported by Windows Central, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, stated that there is no alternative to Google’s search engine, which is why the partnership exists. He also said that there is no price that Microsoft could offer that would convince Apple to turn the Bing search engine into the default one. Back in 2018, it was reported that the software giant attempted to sell Bing to Apple, but the platform was riddled with quality and inaccuracy issues, meaning that there was no way it could compete with Google’s platform.
Six attempts were made to sell Bing to Apple, with the last one coming in 2020. Unfortunately for Microsoft, the sum Google handed over every year meant that all competitors in the search engine space would be making futile attempts to convince Apple to dissolve its partnership with the Mountain View firm.
Cue also mentioned that Microsoft could have sold Apple the entire company, which would still not be enough to convince the trillion-dollar entity to make the switch. Unfortunately, the ongoing antitrust lawsuit could risk Apple’s profits for 2024 and the coming years unless Judge Amit Mehta believes there is no real alternative to Google.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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