Arthur Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 Why would Google give them access, would you??? Could the EU force them to?
mavhc Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 Because you'd make more profit staying in the EU than you'd lose by not doing it
sted Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 so how is having the playstore on different os forks anything other than the same issue? so you have 5 flavours of android and 1 store (because again developers wont want to support small stores and given the option users will go with what they know in most cases) so you now have a store monopoly same basic problem different name no?
TwistedHelixis Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 But I can't install the apple store on my other OS's, so why should Google give that away for free when its not open source
TwistedHelixis Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 They could charge more for accessing its Play Store but in the end Google will just release a non open source OS
mjk Posted July 24, 2018 Posted July 24, 2018 Other android stores available https://fossbytes.com/10-google-play-store-alternatives/ 1
Arthur Posted October 17, 2018 Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) New blog post from Google... Complying with the EC’s Android decision In July, in our response to the European Commission’s competition decision against Android, we said that rapid innovation, wide choice and falling prices are classic hallmarks of robust competition, and that Android has enabled all of them. We believe that Android has created more choice, not less. That’s why last week we filed our appeal of the Commission’s decision at the General Court of the European Union. At the same time, we’ve been working on how to comply with the decision. We have now informed the European Commission of the changes we will make while the appeal is pending. 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. We’ll also offer new commercial agreements to partners for the non-exclusive pre-installation and placement of Google Search and Chrome. As before, competing apps may be pre-installed alongside ours. These new licensing options will come into effect on 29 October 2018, for all new smartphones and tablets launched in the EEA. We’ll be working closely with our Android partners in the coming weeks and months to transition to the new agreements. And of course, we remain deeply committed to continued innovation for the Android ecosystem. ^ Isn't this going to put European smartphone manufacturers at a disadvantage compared to those elsewhere in the world? Google will start charging Android device makers a fee for using its apps in Europe Device makers have three options here: make a phone without the Play Store or any other Google apps; make a phone with the Play Store and all Google apps but Chrome and search; and make a phone with all those apps, like most Android phones that ship today. It’s really only that middle option that’s new — but it’s a big deal for Google, which could lose a huge revenue stream, and for competing browser and search engines, which have an opportunity to get key placement on devices in their stead. There is one other key change happening here. In the past, Google required that companies building phones or tablets that included the Play Store only build phones and tablets that included the Play Store — they couldn’t make other devices with a forked version of Android. Now, that’ll be allowed. So if Samsung wants to ship both the regular Galaxy S9 with Google’s Play Store and some whackadoo Galaxy phone that runs, say, Amazon’s Fire OS, it can now do that in Europe. Edited October 17, 2018 by Arthur
mavhc Posted October 17, 2018 Posted October 17, 2018 Will they still have to pay if they include Chrome and Google search as default?
localzuk Posted October 17, 2018 Posted October 17, 2018 New blog post from Google... Complying with the EC’s Android decision ^ Isn't this going to put European smartphone manufacturers at a disadvantage compared to those elsewhere in the world? The way I read it in another article, the fee applies to any device sold in Europe, regardless of where it is manufactured. So, if Samsung sell a phone in the EU, they'd have to pay the fee.
Arthur Posted October 19, 2018 Posted October 19, 2018 The way I read it in another article, the fee applies to any device sold in Europe, regardless of where it is manufactured. So, if Samsung sell a phone in the EU, they'd have to pay the fee. You're right. It appears that Google have also come up with an interesting workaround for device manufacturers. Google app suite costs as much as $40 per phone under new EU Android deal Android manufacturers will have to pay Google a surprisingly high cost in Europe in order to include Google’s Play Store and other mobile apps on their devices, according to documents obtained by The Verge. A confidential fee schedule shows costs as high as $40 per device to install the “Google Mobile Services” suite of apps, which includes the Google Play Store. The new fees vary depending on country and device type, and it would apply to devices activated on or after February 1st, 2019. But phone manufacturers may not actually have to shoulder that cost: Google is also offering separate agreements to cover some or all of the licensing costs for companies that choose to install Chrome and Google search on their devices as well, according to a person familiar with the terms. Google declined to comment. EU countries are divided into three tiers, with the highest fees coming in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands. In those countries, a device with a pixel density higher than 500 ppi would have to pay a $40 fee to license Google’s suite of apps, according to pricing documents. 400 to 500ppi devices would pay a $20 fee, while devices under 400 ppi would pay only $10. In some countries, for lower-end phones, the fee can be as little as $2.50 per device. It’s unclear why pixel density is so central to the pricing scheme, but it is likely being used as a proxy for the price of the overall device, as higher pixel density devices usually cost more. (Samsung’s Galaxy S9 has a pixel density of 570 ppi, for example.) Tablets would also face an entirely different pricing tier, applied evenly across countries and capping out at $20 per device. It’s possible that some manufacturers could negotiate separate deals, but a source familiar with the structure said it’s unlikely they would vary significantly. Beyond offsetting the upfront fees, manufacturers that don’t preinstall Chrome could also miss out on search revenue from the browser, a long-standing incentive to prioritize Google and its apps. According to the new agreement, Google would not pay search revenue sharing for devices that do not preinstall Chrome and place it in the phone’s home screen dock. “If the Company elects not to place the Google Chrome browser on the Application Dock for any Qualified Device(s) supplied into the EEA [European Economic Area],” the agreement reads, “Company will not be entitled to any portion of revenue generated from Google Chrome for such Qualified Device(s).” The European Commission ruling does not explicitly require Google to charge licensing fees, but Google is required to break apart its traditional bundle of apps. The court ruled that by bundling search and Chrome within Android, Google stifled innovation and cut off opportunities for device makers to sign better deals around preinstalled browsers and search engines. Handed down in July, the ruling also came with a $5 billion fine, although the forward-looking unbundling measures are expected to be more significant. The commission sees this breakup as a way to increase competition, which could lower costs or add more options for consumers in the long run. Chrome and search are where Google’s profits come from, and without them in the bundle, it’s chosen to fund the distribution of the rest of its apps and services with this per-device fee. If phone or tablet companies want to include any of Google’s apps, they’ll have to pay, and then decide whether to make a separate browser-and-search deal with Google to make back some of the costs. Most will likely come to some kind of agreement since Google’s Play Store is where the vast majority of Android apps are distributed. If companies want Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other major apps on their devices, paying Google is the easiest way in. Critics of the commission’s judgment see it as a new cost to be passed on to consumers, a view that may be driven home by the new licensing fees. One of Google’s strongest selling points to manufacturers was the lack of an associated fee for Android — a major advantage over Microsoft, which offered its alternative OS for a cost. Now that companies will be paying per-device in Europe, there’s a strong chance that’ll translate to higher overall device costs in order to make up for lost revenue.
mavhc Posted October 19, 2018 Posted October 19, 2018 So approx 0 of phones will change. This is just as useless as the cookie law, the gdpr, the browser choice thing, etc etc, just more things to click X on 2
Arthur Posted March 20, 2019 Posted March 20, 2019 the browser choice thing Speaking of which... Android users in Europe will now be asked which browser they want to use For nearly a decade, we’ve been in discussions with the European Commission about the way some of our products work. Throughout this process, we’ve always agreed on one thing一that healthy, thriving markets are in everyone’s interest. A key characteristic of open and competitive markets一and of Google’s products一is constant change. Every year, we make thousands of changes to our products, spurred by feedback from our partners and our users. Over the last few years, we’ve also made changes一to Google Shopping; to our mobile apps licenses; and to AdSense for Search一in direct response to formal concerns raised by the European Commission. Since then, we’ve been listening carefully to the feedback we’re getting, both from the European Commission, and from others. As a result, over the next few months, we’ll be making further updates to our products in Europe. Since 2017, when we adapted Google Shopping to comply with the Commission’s order, we’ve made a number of changes to respond to feedback. Recently, we’ve started testing a new format that gives direct links to comparison shopping sites, alongside specific product offers from merchants. On Android phones, you’ve always been able to install any search engine or browser you want, irrespective of what came pre-installed on the phone when you bought it. In fact, a typical Android phone user will usually install around 50 additional apps on their phone. After the Commission’s July 2018 decision, we changed the licensing model for the Google apps we build for use on Android phones, creating new, separate licenses for Google Play, the Google Chrome browser, and for Google Search. In doing so, we maintained the freedom for phone makers to install any alternative app alongside a Google app. Now we’ll also do more to ensure that Android phone owners know about the wide choice of browsers and search engines available to download to their phones. This will involve asking users of existing and new Android devices in Europe which browser and search apps they would like to use. We’ve always tried to give people the best and fastest answers一whether direct from Google, or from the wide range of specialist websites and app providers out there today. These latest changes demonstrate our continued commitment to operating in an open and principled way.
Arthur Posted January 10, 2020 Posted January 10, 2020 Doesn't this make the €4.34 billion EU fine essentially pointless? Google will probably eventually make more money from the fees than they were fined! These companies have won Google’s alternative search provider auction in Europe (see also: www.android.com/choicescreen-winners) Following the EU's record antitrust ruling against Google back in 2018, the European Commission asked the company to give Android users the option to set other search engines as default. That prompted Google to take the opportunity to make even more money by auctioning which companies to feature as default search engine providers. The winners have now been published, and it looks like privacy advocate DuckDuckGo and meta search engine Info.com have taken the crown across the continent. As previously reported, the "Choice Screen" will be rolled out to Android users in Europe in March 2020 and will allow them to choose their standard search engine when they first set up their phones. Once selected, the search provider's app will be installed, and the engine will be accessible via the homescreen widget and in Google Chrome. You can manually alter your choice later on. Google allows three alternative choices besides itself per country, and the bidding took place for each location individually. DuckDuckGo and Info.com managed to win everywhere, while Bing is only a choice in the UK. Qwant and Privacy Wall most frequently share the remaining spot, though in some countries, there are outliers: German GMX is predominantly seen in German-speaking locations, and Russian Yandex is a choice in many East European states. Czech Seznam can be found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Austria: DuckDuckGo, GMX, Info.com Belgium: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Bulgaria: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Croatia: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Czech Republic: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Seznam Denmark: DuckDuckGo, Givero, Info.com Estonia: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex Finland: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex France: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Germany: DuckDuckGo, GMX, Info.com Greece: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Hungary: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Iceland: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Ireland: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Italy: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Latvia: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex Liechtenstein: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Lithuania: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex Luxembourg: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Malta: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Netherlands: DuckDuckGo, GMX, Info.com Norway: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Poland: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex Portugal: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Republic of Cyprus: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Romania: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Slovakia: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Seznam Slovenia: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall Spain: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant Sweden: DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall United Kingdom: Bing, DuckDuckGo, Info.com Google will receive a fee every time someone chooses one of the competing search engines on the Choice Screen. We will probably never know how much the company charges as auctioneers were forced to sign an NDA forbidding them to talk about finances. Google sure found an ingenious way to profit from a ruling that was supposed to limit its market-dominating power.
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