Google must let Android users in Europe choose their default search engine app and web browser, as a measure to rectify one of the violations in the European Union’s antitrust case and subsequent $5 billion fine against the search engine giant.
Naturally, Google’s found a way to profit from and tax its competitors.
Set to be implemented by early 2020, the new setup process for Android devices in the EU will include three choices for search engines and web browsers in addition to Google’s own. These options will vary by region and the corresponding apps will be automatically downloaded upon the device owner’s selection.
But Google is taking bids from smaller, competing search engines, selecting those that will pay the highest premium when a user chooses them over Google’s search service. Although Google can profit from this, it’s still satisfying the EU’s requests for competition.
“The decision provides rival search providers the possibility to strike exclusive pre-installation deals with smartphone and tablet manufacturers,” a spokesperson for the EU’s Competitive Commission told Digital Trends. “This was not possible before. We will be closely monitoring the implementation of the choice screen mechanism, including listening to relevant feedback from the market, in particular in relation to the presentation and mechanics of the choice screen, and to the selection mechanism of rival search providers. The commission is committed to a full and effective implementation of the decision.”
When asked specifically if Google’s implementation is violating any antitrust laws, the spokesperson said the commission has “no other comment in this regard at this point.”
In 2016, the EU leveled an antitrust case against the company, deeming a number of Google’s practices surrounding the Android operating system as monopolistic and anti-competitive. Among the issues raised were Google forcing companies using Android and its own Play Store to pre-install the search giant’s Chrome browser and no others, and illegally paying device manufacturers to give Google’s Search app the same treatment. It also denied access to the Play Store to companies that wanted to use other, forked versions of Android, limiting access to thousands of apps.
Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition, said these practices “cemented the dominance of its search engine,” which holds 88% of the global search market share as of April 2019, according to Statista.com.
Android consumers in the EU should see this choice screen appearing in devices by early 2020.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.