4 ms·

Google pays Apple $1B (or more)

30 points by davidatyc 9y ago

dmix 9y ago
They wouldn't pay it unless it made good business sense. And besides "just works" Apple wouldn't want to have to offer a subpar default search offering to their users. So it's always win-win.
- steve19 9y ago
  I suspect it's that they don't want to take the risk that not being front and center on Apple platforms could have on their business. Maybe droves Apple of users would jump ship to Bing... Or maybe they would jump ship to Android if Google Maps and Waze were pulled from the App Store.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- Mahn 9y ago
  > Apple wouldn't want to have to offer a subpar default search offering to their users That's what people thought about maps, too.
  - JumpCrisscross 9y ago
    I've actually switched, after a long time, to using Apple Maps as my default mapping application. It's good enough for 99.9% of the time. And I like its privacy-conscious construction.
    - PappaPatat 9y ago
      I drive a lot of car KM's in Europe. Apple Maps is bad when it comes to guiding me over the best (read: moving traffic) roads compared to Google Maps. As much as I enjoy particular instructions (specifically the indication of highway splits) from Apple Maps, Google Maps just keeps me moving and prevents stalls way better over here. Short distances it matters less. That might be your 99.9%?
ngsayjoe 9y ago
I've been trying to run Adwords Universal Campaign on my iOS app, but Google just wouldn't drive any traffic to my iOS app while similar Android campaign works like a charm. Is Google trying to undermine Apple via its Search/Adwords monopoly here?
- Abishek_Muthian 9y ago
  Could you be bit more elaborate about your objective? Is it get your iOS app installs via Ads. More impressions/clicks on the ads, gets more money for Google, I don't see a reason for them to restrict that in any ways; in-fact the whole article is about it's importance.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - ngsayjoe 9y ago
    Yes trying to get more installs for my apps but Adwords just wont run my iOS campaign while Android runs very well. This has nothing to do with Google controlling Play Store because when i see the placement source it is driving traffic mostly from youtube.com.
nullvoid1234 9y ago
A big day for Apple is changing it's color on a phone with the same specs. Apple=consumer product(aka look at the jeans with the name brand)Google=business class. Microsoft=Smithsonian. Google just needs to step up there game and stop playing nice with Microsoft. Just sink there battleship already, they are always 10 years behind the times. Microsoft needs to put out books to figure out how to use the shit and Google is intuitive, no manual required. Mic drop.
ehsankia 9y ago
But doesn't Siri use Bing? So this is only for Safari? Isn't it a weird experience if one app uses Google for search and another uses Bing?
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  Not really, results are results. And they're usually pretty similar anyways. Also, consider that when searching with Siri, Apple is controlling the formatting of those results as well, so they will fit Apple's style, not Bing's.
  - teej 9y ago
    When Siri decides your request needs web search results, it uses Bing by default. You can override this by asking Siri to "google search" for your term. The behavior is different in that it will open your default browser to a Google search results page.
- redial 9y ago
  It is, but is also a sign that Apple wants to commoditize search on the iPhone, weakening Google's position. All without stop receiving Google's billions of course.
justonepost 9y ago
I wonder how much apple pays Samsung.
rhinoceraptor 9y ago
It makes perfect sense when you remember that the reason Android exists is to get users into the Google ecosystem, as a loss leader. iOS exists to sell expensive handsets. I don’t think Google cares what phone you have as long as all of your valuable data is in Google services and you’re viewing Google ads.
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  Mostly true, but note that Android isn't a "loss leader" by any stretch, Google has made tens of billions on it: http://www.investors.com/news/technology/google-has-raked-in-21b-in-android-profit-says-oracle/ http://www.investors.com/news/technology/google-has-raked-in...
bnewton149 9y ago
"Google needs to pay Apple a small fortune to remain the default search engine on iOS" Since when was $1B a small fortune?
firefoxd 9y ago
Isn't it interesting that the fight is between Google and Apple, while the consumer is the one holding the product in hand. They did a extraordinary job of taking control over the final user. The user has the power ("ability" but let's exaggerate) to switch to any search engine they want, thwarting any decision these two companies make. But that's too complicated, let's leave it to the techies. I really wish for a mandatory class in schools where students are demystified about computers.
- JumpCrisscross 9y ago
  > They did a extraordinary job of taking control over the final user. The user has the power ("ability" but let's exaggerate) to switch to any search engine they want, thwarting any decision these two companies make. This sounds less like someone taking power and more like everyone collectively ceding it. Part of this involves transaction costs. Relative to the minor gains many might expect from taking the time to switch search engines, the cost of learning how to do that is steep. Naturally, those economies scale favor Apple and Google. Perhaps the switching cost isn't, or shouldn't be, as high for consumers. I think the solution is in education and lowering peoples' fears with tinkering with their tech. But another part of me thinks most people simply don't find such fiddling worth the bother.
- ChicagoBoy11 9y ago
  I work in an elementary school in technology and I follow this space very closely. I can confidently tell you we are moving in the opposite direction. While arguably there has never been as much talked about “computer science” as there is now, we’re fueling this growth by essentially removing just about any computer science that was left in these courses.
- twblalock 9y ago
  > I really wish for a mandatory class in schools where students are demystified about computers. I do too, but I don't see how it would make a difference in this situation. I know plenty about computers and I choose to use Google search anyway, because I've tried the alternatives and they are nowhere near as good. I choose to use Apple products too, because I prefer them to the alternatives.
endlessvoid94 9y ago
Suggest new title: "Google pays Apple $1B to remain default search engine (2014)" There is no new story here. At all. The title is very misleading. Google paid Apple $1B in 2014, and they're digging this up to reuse old content. They speculate that the amount has grown since then.
sctb 9y ago
Previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15009278 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15009278

30 points by davidatyc 9y ago

dmix 9y ago

They wouldn't pay it unless it made good business sense. And besides "just works" Apple wouldn't want to have to offer a subpar default search offering to their users. So it's always win-win.

steve19 9y ago
I suspect it's that they don't want to take the risk that not being front and center on Apple platforms could have on their business. Maybe droves Apple of users would jump ship to Bing... Or maybe they would jump ship to Android if Google Maps and Waze were pulled from the App Store.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
Mahn 9y ago
> Apple wouldn't want to have to offer a subpar default search offering to their users That's what people thought about maps, too.
- JumpCrisscross 9y ago
  I've actually switched, after a long time, to using Apple Maps as my default mapping application. It's good enough for 99.9% of the time. And I like its privacy-conscious construction.
  - PappaPatat 9y ago
    I drive a lot of car KM's in Europe. Apple Maps is bad when it comes to guiding me over the best (read: moving traffic) roads compared to Google Maps. As much as I enjoy particular instructions (specifically the indication of highway splits) from Apple Maps, Google Maps just keeps me moving and prevents stalls way better over here. Short distances it matters less. That might be your 99.9%?

ngsayjoe 9y ago

I've been trying to run Adwords Universal Campaign on my iOS app, but Google just wouldn't drive any traffic to my iOS app while similar Android campaign works like a charm. Is Google trying to undermine Apple via its Search/Adwords monopoly here?

Abishek_Muthian 9y ago
Could you be bit more elaborate about your objective? Is it get your iOS app installs via Ads. More impressions/clicks on the ads, gets more money for Google, I don't see a reason for them to restrict that in any ways; in-fact the whole article is about it's importance.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- ngsayjoe 9y ago
  Yes trying to get more installs for my apps but Adwords just wont run my iOS campaign while Android runs very well. This has nothing to do with Google controlling Play Store because when i see the placement source it is driving traffic mostly from youtube.com.

nullvoid1234 9y ago

A big day for Apple is changing it's color on a phone with the same specs. Apple=consumer product(aka look at the jeans with the name brand)Google=business class. Microsoft=Smithsonian. Google just needs to step up there game and stop playing nice with Microsoft. Just sink there battleship already, they are always 10 years behind the times. Microsoft needs to put out books to figure out how to use the shit and Google is intuitive, no manual required. Mic drop.

ehsankia 9y ago

But doesn't Siri use Bing? So this is only for Safari? Isn't it a weird experience if one app uses Google for search and another uses Bing?

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
Not really, results are results. And they're usually pretty similar anyways. Also, consider that when searching with Siri, Apple is controlling the formatting of those results as well, so they will fit Apple's style, not Bing's.
- teej 9y ago
  When Siri decides your request needs web search results, it uses Bing by default. You can override this by asking Siri to "google search" for your term. The behavior is different in that it will open your default browser to a Google search results page.
redial 9y ago
It is, but is also a sign that Apple wants to commoditize search on the iPhone, weakening Google's position. All without stop receiving Google's billions of course.

justonepost 9y ago

I wonder how much apple pays Samsung.

rhinoceraptor 9y ago

It makes perfect sense when you remember that the reason Android exists is to get users into the Google ecosystem, as a loss leader. iOS exists to sell expensive handsets. I don’t think Google cares what phone you have as long as all of your valuable data is in Google services and you’re viewing Google ads.

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
Mostly true, but note that Android isn't a "loss leader" by any stretch, Google has made tens of billions on it: http://www.investors.com/news/technology/google-has-raked-in-21b-in-android-profit-says-oracle/ http://www.investors.com/news/technology/google-has-raked-in...

bnewton149 9y ago

"Google needs to pay Apple a small fortune to remain the default search engine on iOS" Since when was $1B a small fortune?

firefoxd 9y ago

Isn't it interesting that the fight is between Google and Apple, while the consumer is the one holding the product in hand. They did a extraordinary job of taking control over the final user. The user has the power ("ability" but let's exaggerate) to switch to any search engine they want, thwarting any decision these two companies make. But that's too complicated, let's leave it to the techies. I really wish for a mandatory class in schools where students are demystified about computers.

JumpCrisscross 9y ago
> They did a extraordinary job of taking control over the final user. The user has the power ("ability" but let's exaggerate) to switch to any search engine they want, thwarting any decision these two companies make. This sounds less like someone taking power and more like everyone collectively ceding it. Part of this involves transaction costs. Relative to the minor gains many might expect from taking the time to switch search engines, the cost of learning how to do that is steep. Naturally, those economies scale favor Apple and Google. Perhaps the switching cost isn't, or shouldn't be, as high for consumers. I think the solution is in education and lowering peoples' fears with tinkering with their tech. But another part of me thinks most people simply don't find such fiddling worth the bother.
ChicagoBoy11 9y ago
I work in an elementary school in technology and I follow this space very closely. I can confidently tell you we are moving in the opposite direction. While arguably there has never been as much talked about “computer science” as there is now, we’re fueling this growth by essentially removing just about any computer science that was left in these courses.
twblalock 9y ago
> I really wish for a mandatory class in schools where students are demystified about computers. I do too, but I don't see how it would make a difference in this situation. I know plenty about computers and I choose to use Google search anyway, because I've tried the alternatives and they are nowhere near as good. I choose to use Apple products too, because I prefer them to the alternatives.

endlessvoid94 9y ago

Suggest new title: "Google pays Apple $1B to remain default search engine (2014)" There is no new story here. At all. The title is very misleading. Google paid Apple $1B in 2014, and they're digging this up to reuse old content. They speculate that the amount has grown since then.

sctb 9y ago

Previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15009278 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15009278