US state: Google bought Samsung on the Appstore

Theory versus practice

While Google touts the theoretical possibilities of officially open Android, US prosecutors are not convinced of its practical effect. they propose that Google has taken steps to make the Android ecosystem more closed to competitors. The original manufacturer of the mobile operating system is positioned as an essential intermediary for developers to reach consumers.

In addition, Google would have cut the competing app stores with preventive measures. The best example of stifled competition is smartphone giant Samsung’s Galaxy app store. Google would thus have retained its monopoly on the distribution of applications for Android. Samsung would not have been put aside and purely disadvantaged, but bought out.

Epic Fortnite Game

According to the indictment of the US states, Google was prepared to give Samsung a series of perks and concessions in exchange for not expanding the Galaxy Store. While the South Korean device maker’s app store isn’t as well-known or widely used as Google’s own Play Store, it could potentially be a formidable competitor.

The introduction of so-called killer apps and exclusives can help a lot with this. Samsung was actively working on it. For example, in 2018 the company signed an agreement with game maker Epic to offer the popular Fortnite exclusively on the Galaxy Store. This exclusive app has already cost Google millions of dollars in revenue, writes Ars Technica. Samsung had more such deals in the works, but the names are still being censored in the antitrust lawsuit against Google.