Google's Sundar Pichai Discusses Search Partnership With Apple and iPhone 6 Success

MacRumors · Feb 26, 2015

Google's Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Google Apps, recently spoke about his company's relationship with Apple in an in-depth interview with Forbes. The executive discussed a few topics related to Apple, including the impact of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on the high-end smartphone market and Google's long-standing search partnership with Apple that is rumored to be up in the air.

Questioned about the possibility of Apple ditching Google as the default search engine on iOS, Pichai did not appear worried and remains committed to building a product that users need. Google renewed its search partnership with Apple in 2010, although the contract is reportedly set to expire this year and there has been increasing speculation that Apple is considering a number of options. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have reportedly courted Apple to become the default search engine for Safari in the past.

Q: Your relationship with Apple is complicated. How concerned are you that you may lose them as a search partner on iOS?

A: There are areas with Apple in which we have always collaborated. We have had a long term search partnership. We work closely with them in areas like YouTube. When I look at search, largely the evolution depends on "are we bulding something which users need?" If we are building something that users need and there is a lot of value we are driving, I think how search manifests in iOS will work out just fine. We have a long term search partnership and are working together with them, and we'll have to see.

Pichai also reflected on how Google expected the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to do very well for Apple, adding that Android is healthy both overall and in the high-end market. He adds that Android is building upon the momentum of one billion devices shipped and believes both Google and Apple are doing well as the smartphone industry continues to evolve.

Q: There's a perception that as Samsung is going through some challenges, Apple is regaining share at the high end. Do you see that in the numbers?

A: Share is tough to assess. There is a lot of noise. Based on what we see things are healthy overall globally including the high end. Apple obviously has done very well with iPhone 6 and 6 plus, but we always expected that. We knew this would be a big upgrade cycle for them. To me looking at the momentum of having shipped a billion devices, people even on the high reporting high loyalty rates across Android, I haven't seen anything to be concerned about. The bigger story here is a growing pie. All of us are doing well.

The full-length interview goes into more detail about the state of Google, touching upon a number of products and services such as Android, Nest, Google Wallet, Google Hangouts, Google Shopping Express and the Play Store. Pichai also reflects on competitors in various spaces, including Amazon in e-commerce and WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger in messaging.

Article Link: Google's Sundar Pichai Discusses Search Partnership With Apple and iPhone 6 Success

macduke · Feb 26, 2015

Search is one of my favorite Google products, but I think Apple should drop them as the default. Other search engines are probably good enough for most people, and if they want they can easily change it back. A few years ago during a court proceeding Google provided documents that they make most of their money on iOS vs. Android. Even if Apple changed the default and it resulted in a loss of 10-20% of revenue for Google then that would be fantastic. Google messed up when they screwed over Apple. I like competition but they took it too far, and Steve Jobs was right to go thermonuclear on them.

I hope that Apple is working on their own search (as was rumored) with some of their other partners or startups. It's time for more competition in the search space. I'd use it just to get away from the Google creep factor. I just hope it doesn't end up like Maps.

b0nd18t · Feb 26, 2015

He is really good at shoveling the poo

sualpine · Feb 26, 2015

Politician answers. What I don't like about Google.

cambookpro · Feb 26, 2015

macduke said:
Search is one of my favorite Google products, but I think Apple should drop them as the default. Other search engines are probably good enough for most people, and if they want they can easily change it back. A few years ago during a court proceeding Google provided documents that they make most of their money on iOS vs. Android. Even if Apple changed the default and it resulted in a loss of 10-20% of revenue for Google then that would be fantastic. Google messed up when they screwed over Apple. I like competition but they took it too far, and Steve Jobs was right to go thermonuclear on them.

I hope that Apple is working on their own search (as was rumored) with some of their other partners or startups. It's time for more competition in the search space. I'd use it just to get away from the Google creep factor. I just hope it doesn't end up like Maps.

Why would that be fantastic? What's fantastic about making (especially the less savvy) users forced to use a search engine which is not as good as Google/have to fiddle around in Settings just to be spared having to use Bing or Yahoo?

I don't care how much money Google makes. Both Apple and Google make more than enough. And anyway, if Google somehow went bust it would be awful for the entire smartphone industry. Are you saying it would be better if there was actually less competition?

I, for one, hope Apple don't drop Google as the default option out of spite. It's clearly the best search engine by a long, long way.

spectrumfox · Feb 26, 2015

Swapping out Google for Bing or Yahoo in iOS would not make me happy.

Google easily bests either of those.

GuitarDTO · Feb 26, 2015

Search, Maps and Gmail. Things I have no interest in moving away from Google.

k1121j · Feb 26, 2015

i have the 1 nest thermostat and 12 detectors holding off on the other 4 thermostats until i see what google does with home kit if they choose not to support it perhaps il scrap the idea for something new and works with home kit

Solomani · Feb 26, 2015

Pichai could have summed up that complicated response by saying this:

"Our relationship with Apple? We're frenemies. What more can I say?"

kenypowa · Feb 26, 2015

Solomani said:
Pichai could have summed up that complicated response by saying this:

"Our relationship with Apple? We're frenemies. What more can I say?"

Frenemies who kick everyone else's butt.

0xyMoron · Feb 26, 2015

Dropping Google as the default search engine will be a huge mistake. Not only because Yahoo search sucks, but Apple needs to stay on good terms with big players and not isolate itself or give the impression that their response to the Android spread is ditching Google services. Let's face it the alternatives to Google search, Gmail, Youtube and Google maps suck big time, we have to admit that Google offers far superior services compared to the competitors and Apple needs to learn how to work with them.

Tankmaze · Feb 26, 2015

Android has become the windows of mobile but none of the profit like microsoft did in the 90s.

spectrumfox · Feb 26, 2015

Tankmaze said:
Android has become the windows of mobile but none of the profit like microsoft did in the 90s.

Consumers don't care about the profits that a company makes.

Only shareholders concern themselves with such things.

Amazing Iceman · Feb 26, 2015

macduke said:
Search is one of my favorite Google products, but I think Apple should drop them as the default. Other search engines are probably good enough for most people, and if they want they can easily change it back. A few years ago during a court proceeding Google provided documents that they make most of their money on iOS vs. Android. Even if Apple changed the default and it resulted in a loss of 10-20% of revenue for Google then that would be fantastic. Google messed up when they screwed over Apple. I like competition but they took it too far, and Steve Jobs was right to go thermonuclear on them.

I hope that Apple is working on their own search (as was rumored) with some of their other partners or startups. It's time for more competition in the search space. I'd use it just to get away from the Google creep factor. I just hope it doesn't end up like Maps.

I agree that Google Search may be the best search engine out there. Basically, Google Search answers most of my questions and finds what I'm looking for. I love it!

Also, when businesses want to advertise and increase their web presence, they talk about Google Search. All Android phones have Google as their default search engine, and most users don't know how to change it.

What I don't like about Google Search is the massive data-mining that occurs when you search for something. Suddenly, lots of relevant ads start to appear in other websites, showing AdSense knows who you are, and what you were searching for. In a way: Good; in another way: Terrible!

Lesson: So don't look for explicit items or your search engine may expose you before your peers.

How about Bing? I can't get used to it. It seems disorganized, too marketing aggressive; I dislike it.

And Yahoo? "Oh, Yahoo is a search engine too?" (Long and forgotten)

Oh, my iOS 8 device has an alternative: DuckDuckGo. I never heard of it before. What is it? What it does? Who runs it? Time to find out, and I wonder what agenda, if any, it hides under its apparent goodness.

Apple Search? Gotta see that. I hope it doesn't censor hits the same way it censors apps in the AppStore.

----------

Tankmaze said:
Android has become the windows of mobile but none of the profit like microsoft did in the 90s.

Yes, I don't recall Microsoft ever giving away phones for practically nothing.

macduke · Feb 26, 2015

Amazing Iceman said:
Oh, my iOS 8 device has an alternative: DuckDuckGo. I never heard of it before. What is it? What it does? Who runs it? Time to find out, and I wonder what agenda, if any, it hides under its apparent goodness.

Apple Search? Gotta see that. I hope it doesn't censor hits the same way it censors apps in the AppStore.

I haven't used DuckDuckGo in like a year, but IMO it's second to Google. Better than other engines but still not quite good enough.

As for Apple censoringI don't think they would be that dumb. They don't censor Safari, and it would work within Safari. It will probably have safe search enabled by default like Google. That seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do. Especially if Siri mishears you and starts bringing up all kinds of weird stuff!

Amazing Iceman · Feb 26, 2015

macduke said:
I haven't used DuckDuckGo in like a year, but IMO it's second to Google. Better than other engines but still not quite good enough.

As for Apple censoringI don't think they would be that dumb. They don't censor Safari, and it would work within Safari. It will probably have safe search enabled by default like Google. That seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do. Especially if Siri mishears you and starts bringing up all kinds of weird stuff!

Heheh! SIRI needs to have its hears checked.

AlecZ · Feb 26, 2015

sualpine said:
Politician answers. What I don't like about Google.

I'm pretty sure Apple spokespeople are just as bad. The last time I heard anything honest was from Steve Jobs. Other companies are just as bad, if not worse. Remember that Blackberry CEO's comments?

Ryth · Feb 26, 2015

He adds that Android is building upon the momentum of one billion devices shipped

Key word: Shipped.

Oletros · Feb 26, 2015

Ryth said:
He adds that Android is building upon the momentum of one billion devices shipped

Key word: Shipped.

Still with the shipped vs sold nonsense? Please, can you point to those secret warehouses or wastelands were those hundred of thousands devices shipped but not sold are hidden?

Karma*Police · Feb 26, 2015

cambookpro said:
I, for one, hope Apple don't drop Google as the default option out of spite. It's clearly the best search engine by a long, long way.

I personally can't tell the difference between Google and Bing. In fact, I find Bing's UI far better than Google's. DuckDuckGo OTOH could definitely improve. I've been using that as my default search engine for a few months now and I find myself using Bing/Google every so often for better results.

2457282 · Feb 26, 2015

Tankmaze said:
Android has become the windows of mobile but none of the profit like microsoft did in the 90s.

I am not sure you are comparing apples to apples (sorry for the pun). MS sold software and an OS. The hardware manufactures of the PCs killed themselves and only Dell and HP have survived. Lenovo too, but after what they just did with superfish they may see some trouble ahead.

Google gives the software and the OS away and makes money by selling advertisements. Google makes a ton of money. The phone makers are like the PC makers of old -- they are making no money and eventually there will be consolidation to a few major players that will make a decent profit (just not like Apple).

sualpine · Feb 26, 2015

AlecZ said:
I'm pretty sure Apple spokespeople are just as bad. The last time I heard anything honest was from Steve Jobs. Other companies are just as bad, if not worse. Remember that Blackberry CEO's comments?

Lolz. Did you not read the New Yorker mini-novel?

Keirasplace · Feb 26, 2015

Oletros said:
Still with the shipped vs sold nonsense? Please, can you point to those secret warehouses or wastelands were those hundred of thousands devices shipped but not sold are hidden?

Or the nonsense that its actually their devices... when they don't build them, or take the loss when they're sold at a loss (as most are). Maybe they should take on the losses 58 of their dear partners are accruing in their "success" then, since its their devices. Even Microsoft's OEM were making much more money than the poor Android users.

cambookpro · Feb 26, 2015

Karma*Police said:
I personally can't tell the difference between Google and Bing. In fact, I find Bing's UI far better than Google's. DuckDuckGo OTOH could definitely improve. I've been using that as my default search engine for a few months now and I find myself using Bing/Google every so often for better results.

Bing is the default at school so I've used both pretty extensively. Bing has got a lot better since it was first launched, but I still find Google's UI nicer, and their 'cards' they have often provide better contextual information than Bing.

Just as an example, this is a tab I had open on a Google Search. I tried it on Bing and I think you'd agree that, for that use, Google is a lot quicker at finding and presenting the information.

macduke · Feb 26, 2015

Amazing Iceman said:
Heheh! SIRI needs to have its hears checked.

I ear what you did there.

Google's Sundar Pichai Discusses Search Partnership With Apple and iPhone 6 Success

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