Google is allegedly making significant financial contributions to Samsung for the preinstallation of its Gemini app on Samsung devices. This information came to light during an ongoing antitrust case involving the U.S. Justice Department, as revealed by a Google executive’s testimony. The payments reportedly commenced in January of this year and are part of a contract expected to extend for at least two additional years.
Google Is Reportedly Paying Samsung to Preinstall Gemini in Its Devices
A Bloomberg report highlighted that Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s Vice President for Global Partnerships, Platforms, and Devices, disclosed the arrangement during court proceedings. While the precise amount of the payments has not been revealed, Fitzgerald referred to it as an “enormous sum of money.”
Under the terms of this agreement, Google is reportedly making a fixed monthly payment for each device that includes the Gemini app. Additionally, Samsung is expected to receive a percentage of the revenue generated from subscriptions to Gemini Advanced.
Fitzgerald also noted that Samsung would earn a share of ad revenue derived from the Gemini app, although it currently does not display any advertisements. The antitrust case against Google centers around allegations that the company has engaged in unlawful practices to ensure its search engine remains the default option on various devices.
Despite concerns about potential exclusivity, the Google executive emphasized that Samsung is free to preinstall competing AI applications. He mentioned that Samsung has already received competitive proposals from other major tech companies, including Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI, for the preinstallation of their respective AI applications.
