Google Paid Apple $1 Billion in 2014 to be Default iOS Search Engine

[megadon]

Why? There's nothing special about Google. I switched to Bing recently and actually prefer it.
[doublepost=1453433077][/doublepost]

*throws up*

No thanks. Most people don't load all that crap on their iPhones anyways.

If this guy really uses Bing, then you can discount the rest of his comments.

 

[Urban Joe]

Interesting to know that Apple is raking in gobs of Googles "dirty money".
Quite interesting.

 

[MuppetGate]

Yep, Apple has made billions over the years by sharing Google's ad revenue, made possible by Apple selling access to its iOS users.

Tim Cook and his hypocritical "you are not our product" line, reminds me of Captain Renault in the movie Casablanca, when he orders Rick's bar to be shut down:

Captain: "I'm shocked, shocked, that there is gambling going on here!"

Waiter: "Here's your share of the winnings, Captain"

Captain: "Oh, thank you!", pockets money, blows whistle.

Mmmm. Not sure…

The article says that Apple picked up a billion dollars in 2014. What happened in 2015? That's kind of important because up until 2015, Apple and Google had a signed agreement. So whether Cook wanted to stick with Google or not, he wouldn't have had much of a choice.

This deal has expired. Did they sign a new deal? Is Apple still picking up the money?

 

[H2SO4]

Yep, Apple has made billions over the years by sharing Google's ad revenue, made possible by Apple selling access to its iOS users.

Tim Cook and his hypocritical "you are not our product" line, reminds me of Captain Renault in the movie Casablanca, when he orders Rick's bar to be shut down:

Captain: "I'm shocked, shocked, that there is gambling going on here!"

Waiter: "Here's your share of the winnings, Captain"

Captain: "Oh, thank you!", pockets money, blows whistle.

I’ve always maintained this. Apple also very likely buys info from Google, probably under then name of one of the many subsidiaries it has. It allows them to pretend they don’t sell user their data. Maybe not but I bet they buy that very same ‘enhanced' user data that tracks peoples habits from other sources. It’s an enormous component of market research.

 

[Max(IT)]

I'd love to see Apple just give DuckDuckGo the default search engine for a year.

You can set it as default, as I actually did
[doublepost=1453446617][/doublepost]

I’ve always maintained this. Apple also very likely buys info from Google, probably under then name of one of the many subsidiaries it has. It allows them to pretend they don’t sell user their data. Maybe not but I bet they buy that very same ‘enhanced' user data that tracks peoples habits from other sources. It’s an enormous component of market research.

Sure... And there are also aliens in Area 51...
[doublepost=1453447157][/doublepost]

I thought Google was the debil.

I thought a lot of people here asked for Apple giving them choices... Apple did and now I see complainers.
Funny thing: most of the complainers are well known Apple bashers
[doublepost=1453447561][/doublepost]

Eh, this disclosure might be unseemly and a bit awkward for Apple, but it doesn't change anything. Google would be one of the search options regardless of whether they paid Apple or not; it just makes Google the default one. One could make the argument that making Google the default undermines Apple's commitment to privacy, but is duckduckgo really good enough yet to be the default anyway? In my experience it's okay for generic searches, but it often fails to present relevant results with more complex queries. So there would be a backlash if DDG was suddenly the default.

I'd like Apple to get rid of Google entirely, but as long as they are giving me the possibility to change I'm fine

 

[Abazigal]

Was it ever established that Google chose to restrict the maps app in the way it did? I always thought this limitation was based on how Apple pushed stock apps...

From what I heard, Google wanted to collect some kind of data from their maps app. Apple wouldn't let them, and so Google let the app languish.

In a way, this has turned out for the best. The maps ban led Google to release a fully-functional version of their app, and those who don't want to park their data with Google still have a decent alternative in the form of Apple Maps.

As far as blocking ads in youtube, I am certainly not here to preach, but ads are actually how the service is able to remain free. Obviously Google has no interest in adding an ad blocker and, if it becomes problematic enough, they could just cut traffic to apps that block ads (thought I am not sure it will ever get that far).

I bought the app not knowing it blocked ads. I was looking for an alternative because the stock YouTube app sucked at the time. I was getting horrible streaming quality despite having an optic fibre connection and being right in front of my router.

I have no problems with the YouTube app on my Apple TV either (which does serve ads). That a 3rd party app was able to offer vastly improved performance showed that the problem was with the default YouTube app for iOS.

It's not my intention to block ads from the start but it is what it is. Should YouTube Red ever come to Singapore, I will be the first to sign up for it. If Google can't make a good enough stock app to make me want to use it, then I will have to use an alternative which does meet my needs.

Most people are going to default to google search anyways because it is hands down the best at what it does. Apple would be a fool to turn down that kind of money for something many people are going to do on their own anyways.

 

[lordofthereef]

From what I heard, Google wanted to collect some kind of data from their maps app. Apple wouldn't let them, and so Google let the app languish.

In a way, this has turned out for the best. The maps ban led Google to release a fully-functional version of their app, and those who don't want to park their data with Google still have a decent alternative in the form of Apple Maps.

I bought the app not knowing it blocked ads. I was looking for an alternative because the stock YouTube app sucked at the time. I was getting horrible streaming quality despite having an optic fibre connection and being right in front of my router.

I have no problems with the YouTube app on my Apple TV either (which does serve ads). That a 3rd party app was able to offer vastly improved performance showed that the problem was with the default YouTube app for iOS.

It's not my intention to block ads from the start but it is what it is. Should YouTube Red ever come to Singapore, I will be the first to sign up for it. If Google can't make a good enough stock app to make me want to use it, then I will have to use an alternative which does meet my needs.

Hadn't heard that about google maps. Where did you read that?
[doublepost=1453448211][/doublepost]

Most people are going to default to google search anyways because it is hands down the best at what it does. Apple would be a fool to turn down that kind of money for something many people are going to do on their own anyways.

Most people very likely don't even know that they can change he default search engine to be quite honest with you.

 

[Abazigal]

I feel sorry for people that have to use Maps, it is almost always wrong and hate how it is the default app that brings up my addresses unless I am using Google Chrome.

Apple maps has been accurate enough for me to trust it as a daily driver. I have Google Maps on my phone as well but haven't quite needed to open t yet

 

[Max(IT)]

I feel sorry for people that have to use Maps, it is almost always wrong and hate how it is the default app that brings up my addresses unless I am using Google Chrome.

In my case maps is absolutely on par with Google maps and it doesn't give Google my data.
So I feel sorry about you using a Google browser..... Very sorry

 

[MH01]

Interesting how we buy our devices and think they are all ours and our data belongs just to us. This shows behind the scenes how much what we do on our devices is worth. Does not matter if it's Google, Microsoft etc, someone is making money off us just surfing the web. We are the only ones not getting anything back lol.

 

[bushido]

Plus I always change my default search engine to DuckDuckGo - to each their own.

tried it for my bachelor thesis out of curiosity but couldnt find s... so back to google search. never taking it for granted ever again

 

[MH01]

In my case maps is absolutely on par with Google maps and it doesn't give Google my data.
So I feel sorry about you using a Google browser..... Very sorry

Apple maps is lacking in the public transist directions.

Is most of the other categories it's on par with google maps.

As per the topic of this thread max, you have been giving Google your data since 2007 on an iPhone, they probably know more about you than you know about you. Anyway Google, Microsoft or yahoo are getting it.

 

[John Mcgregor]

I would like to see Apple set their ego aside and use Google as the default search engine. Give us all Google Apps and services preloaded. That would save me from having to install all that each year when I get a new iPhone. I have enjoyed the enhanced performance and functionality of my iPhones and Android phones thanks to Google. They've done a lot for mobile computing and communications.

Are you insane?

 

[Max(IT)]

Apple maps is lacking in the public transist directions.

Is most of the other categories it's on par with google maps.

As per the topic of this thread max, you have been giving Google your data since 2007 on an iPhone, they probably know more about you than you know about you. Anyway Google, Microsoft or yahoo are getting it.

I know about that but I'm playing my part to get rid of Google day after day. And it works. Slowly but it works

 

[goobot]

Interesting how we buy our devices and think they are all ours and our data belongs just to us. This shows behind the scenes how much what we do on our devices is worth. Does not matter if it's Google, Microsoft etc, someone is making money off us just surfing the web. We are the only ones not getting anything back lol.

We get a free search engine.

 

[Max(IT)]

Are you insane?

Indeed I can't understand people wanting a bloated iPhone when they can just buy an already fully bloated android phone instead

 

[MH01]

I know about that but I'm playing my part to get rid of Google day after day. And it works. Slowly but it works

Keep the fight alive !!! It's amazing how much data they collect on us.

 

[Chloec]

a Chinese Word i recently studied, Tuhao

 

[MH01]

We get a free search engine.

Only reason it's "free" cause they are making money of us. Search Engines are not the convience of us end users, they are there to make revenue ...

 

[Wahlstrm]

DuckDuckGo <3

 

[wyarp]

Holy.... wow!

 

[The Bad Guy]

You can set it as default, as I actually did
[doublepost=1453446617][/doublepost]
Sure... And there are also aliens in Area 51...
[doublepost=1453447157][/doublepost]
I thought a lot of people here asked for Apple giving them choices... Apple did and now I see complainers.
Funny thing: most of the complainers are well known Apple bashers
[doublepost=1453447561][/doublepost]
I'd like Apple to get rid of Google entirely, but as long as they are giving me the possibility to change I'm fine

In my case maps is absolutely on par with Google maps and it doesn't give Google my data.
So I feel sorry about you using a Google browser..... Very sorry

I know about that but I'm playing my part to get rid of Google day after day. And it works. Slowly but it works

Indeed I can't understand people wanting a bloated iPhone when they can just buy an already fully bloated android phone instead

Hahaha...the state of your avatar, mate. Your comments? Not biased at all, I'm sure.

 

[Lennholm]

I would like to see Apple set their ego aside and use Google as the default search engine. Give us all Google Apps and services preloaded. That would save me from having to install all that each year when I get a new iPhone. I have enjoyed the enhanced performance and functionality of my iPhones and Android phones thanks to Google. They've done a lot for mobile computing and communications.

More preloaded apps is the last thing iOS needs
[doublepost=1453459823][/doublepost]

Indeed I can't understand people wanting a bloated iPhone when they can just buy an already fully bloated android phone instead

The iPhone is already bloated with all the unremovable crap-ware Apple includes.

 

[tito2020]

Not surprising at all. Google makes almost double off of every iPhone user compared to Android users. Keeping them using Google search means billions in revenue for Google and is well worth the price paid.

That is pocket change for google they must made 5 billion

 

[justabrake]

I think google is nuts I use all google services, Apple would have to have there apps in iTunes anyway People would demand it ! Wish apple would let you select default browser !