Google Lifts Restrictions Over Android Pre-Installed Services

[engine]

Google has taken steps towards appeasing the E.U. over the Android operating system and antitrust fine of €4.3billion, ($4.9billion) for allegedly using Android's dominance to stop rivals from innovating.

It's ironic that it took this huge fine for Google to make this move, where it could have done so when the complaint was filed.

It appears that the changes only apply to products sold in European Economic Area.

First, we’re updating the compatibility agreements with mobile device makers that set out how Android is used to develop smartphones and tablets. Going forward, Android partners wishing to distribute Google apps may also build non-compatible, or forked, smartphones and tablets for the European Economic Area (EEA).

Second, device manufacturers will be able to license the Google mobile application suite separately from the Google Search App or the Chrome browser. Since the pre-installation of Google Search and Chrome together with our other apps helped us fund the development and free distribution of Android, we will introduce a new paid licensing agreement for smartphones and tablets shipped into the EEA. Android will remain free and open source.

Third, we will offer separate licenses to the Google Search app and to Chrome.

[blog.google...]

Earlier story
Google Appeals Against E.U.'s $4.9bn Android Antitrust Fine [webmasterworld.com]

[justpassing]

This reminds me when the EU enforced the right for PC manufacturers not to pre-install Windows ... Yes, PC manufacturers have the choice not to pay a license to Microsoft, but 99% of PC come with Window (I have a laptop coming with Ubuntu :)).

This is going to change nothing, excepting that, it sounds like mobile device manufacturers will now have to pay a license fee to Google to embed the G suite. What will happen? Manufacturers will pay the license fee, because it's more convenient, easy. So in final, 99% of android mobiles will come with G suite per-installed, like now, the difference is that Google will earn more money :)

[EditorialGuy]

Apple must be delighted by this.

[MrSavage]

Apple doesn't exist to collect people's data and information. They can (and have) done well without knowing what a majority of the world's population does on an minute-by-minute basis.

[justpassing]

Apple doesn't exist to collect people's data and information.

This is not the subject of this topic. The OP message was about the GSuit pre installed, and this is not because Google is collecting personal data, that the EU was complaining ...

[graeme_p]

I think this will make a difference.

1. It means that manufacturers can sell devices with or without Google apps. Earlier the license was for all devices they sold and prevented them from selling devices without if they licensed at all. Not unlike with MS used to do with Windows licensing a long time ago.
2. Devices without Google apps will be cheaper than those with.

If you look at what they were doing it was clearly anti-competitive:

[bbc.co.uk...]

Classic bundling, together with exclusivity agreements with sales channels to lock out competition.

[justpassing]

I wonder if it means Google Chrome will stop being pre-installed on Android smart phones ...

[MrSavage]

Thanks dad.

[mcneely]

but 99% of PC come with Window (I have a laptop coming with Ubuntu :)).

Just got a new HP ProBook for my birthday with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed -- Long story short, I booted off of the USB and installed Linux without even booting into the OEM'ed install. It's a shame that with all of this modern hardware that we have to endure less than steller operating systems.