Skip to main content

Google may charge up to $40 per Android device for app suite following EU ruling

Recently, it was reported that Google is set to significantly change how it works with Android manufacturers, at least in Europe. Rather than having the ability to load Google’s apps and services onto their Android phones for free, the company will begin to charge device makers that want to use its main Google apps. According to documents obtained by The Verge, that fee apparently will be as much as $40 per device in order to install the “Google Mobile Services” suite of apps.

The report goes on to mention that the new fees will vary based on the type of device and on the country, and will go into effect on devices activated on or after February 1, 2019. The pricing documents show that in Germany, the U.K., Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands, a device that has a pixel density that’s higher than 500 ppi would pay the $40 fee in order to license the suite of apps, while devices with 400 to 500 ppi pay $20. Meanwhile, any device that’s under 400 ppi would be charged $10 and lower-end phones would cost as low as $2.50 per device.

Recommended Videos

The Verge notes that it’s unclear why pixel density effects pricing, but this could be based on the fact that higher pixel density is normally associated with more highly priced devices. Tablets, on the other hand, could have a different set of pricing across countries of up to $20 per device. A source close to the matter claims that while manufacturers might be able to negotiate separate deals, the prices wouldn’t vary that much between them.

Manufacturers who don’t pre-install Chrome, however, might lose out on search revenue tied to the browser. With the new agreement, Google will only pay search-revenue sharing fees if Chrome is pre-installed and specifically placed on the home screen dock.

The move comes as a response to a July ruling in the European Union which ordered Google to stop “illegally tying” Google Chrome and some search-related apps to Android. Companies will now be able to license Chrome, the Play Store, and other Google mobile apps rather than being required to bundle all of them together. Companies will also be able to license Google apps for forked versions of Android, which may make for more phones with alternative versions of Android.

Traditionally, Google hasn’t charged for the use of these apps because of how much money it makes from search and Chrome. Being required to stop tying them together, though, changes how much money Google could potentially make from them.

“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 [European Economic Area],” Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer said in a blog post.

It’s important to note that Android as a whole will still be free — it’s just that now those apps that we most often associate with Android may not be. Not only that, but those apps may not come pre-installed on every Android device — so if you want them, you may have to download them separately.

Ultimately, Android device manufacturers may still be tied to Google. They will likely still need to license the use of the Google Play Store, where users can download all of the Google apps that otherwise would have come with their phone. Not only that, but it’s possible Google will be able to continue bundling all of its apps together in the future — the company is appealing the European Commission’s decision. Still, in the meantime, it has to comply with the decision, and as such the changes will go into effect starting on October 29.

Updated October 19: Documents indicate Google app suite may reportedly cost $40 per phone under EU Android deal.

Brenda Stolyar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brenda became obsessed with technology after receiving her first Dell computer from her grandpa in the second grade. While…
Google Maps’ new feature sees Android play catchup to iOS
Samsung Galaxy S24 in Marble Gray showing Google Maps.

Android users are getting their first glimpse of a new operating system feature while using Google Maps, as the app is the first to make use of the Live Updates ability that was added for Android 16. The feature will give users updated information in their status bar so they can keep track of ongoing activity such as following directions using maps.

Similar to Apple's Live Activities system, the Android function can potentially be used by a range of apps but has first been seen in Google Maps. "Live Updates are a new class of notifications that help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities," Android developers explained in a post highlighting the feature when it was first announced.

Read more
Google quietly fixed USB flaw that left over a billion Android devices exposed
Official Android mascot and splash screen on a phone.

In the first week of February, Google published its usual Android Security Bulletin, detailing security flaws that have been plugged to strengthen the platform safety. These flaws are usually declared once they have been fixed, except in special circumstances.

February is one of those rare situations for a kernel-level, high-severity flaw that was still being actively exploited at the time of the bulletin’s release. “There are indications that CVE-2024-53104 may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” says the release note.

Read more
A native Android Apple TV app is now in the Google Play store
The Apple TV app on a Samsung Android phone.

It's been five years since the Apple TV app was launched, and we're now getting a version for Android devices -- built from the ground up for native Android integration -- in the Google Play store that will have the same Apple TV+ functionality as the Apple ecosystem version. The new app means users with Android OS 10 or later will finally have the ability to sign up for Apple TV+ on their Android-based phones and tablets to watch shows and movies like Severance, Silo, Killers of the Flower Moon, and CODA. There will be no difference in pricing on Android compared to Apple.

This should enable seamless interactivity across platforms for features such as Continue Watching -- which keeps track of where you are in a show or movie and allows you to pick up from that spot when you return, regardless of the device you watch on. Customer's Watchlist will be kept up to date across devices as well, and since purchases are linked to your Apple account, all the content you own will be accessible on any device with the new updated app. One thing missing at launch, though, will be the ability to cast Apple TV content from your Android device.

Read more