Google is paying a large amount of money to Samsung to have its Gemini AI app pre-installed on Galaxy phones. This was revealed during an antitrust case with the US Department of Justice. The deal is similar to previous payments Google made to keep its search engine on devices. Critics see it as a possible violation of the law, as similar payments have been challenged before. Now, with Gemini featured on Samsung’s newest flagship phones, the DOJ worries Google is tightening its control over both search and AI markets.
Google has a history of paying for prime placement on popular devices. It has paid billions to make Google Search the default on Apple products. Between 2020 and 2023, it paid Samsung $8 billion to pre-install Google Search and the Play Store, according to court records.
Recent court documents from the DOJ show Google is also paying Samsung big money each month. These payments help ensure Gemini AI appears on Galaxy phones, starting with the Galaxy S24 in January 2025. The deal could last until 2028 and includes a share of profit from Gemini ads, though exact numbers are secret. A DOJ lawyer called these payments an “enormous sum.”
This deal makes Galaxy phones a key platform for Google’s AI development. Some features are unique to Samsung. Google benefits from a huge platform to improve its AI tech. Samsung makes money from the arrangement too. The DOJ argues this is just like Google’s old tactic of using search dominance to push other products and keep users in its ecosystem. Courts have already said such payments are illegal. The case’s outcome could force Google to end these deals or even sell Chrome. That could change its close ties with Samsung and impact the fight over AI technology.
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