Google's Sundar Pichai Discusses Search Partnership With Apple and iPhone 6 Success

SundarGoogle's Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Google Apps, recently spoke about his company's relationship with Apple in an in-depth interview with Forbes. The executive discussed a few topics related to Apple, including the impact of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on the high-end smartphone market and Google's long-standing search partnership with Apple that is rumored to be up in the air.

Questioned about the possibility of Apple ditching Google as the default search engine on iOS, Pichai did not appear worried and remains committed to building a product that users need. Google renewed its search partnership with Apple in 2010, although the contract is reportedly set to expire this year and there has been increasing speculation that Apple is considering a number of options. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have reportedly courted Apple to become the default search engine for Safari in the past.

Q: Your relationship with Apple is complicated. How concerned are you that you may lose them as a search partner on iOS?

A: There are areas with Apple in which we have always collaborated. We have had a long term search partnership. We work closely with them in areas like YouTube. When I look at search, largely the evolution depends on “are we bulding something which users need?” If we are building something that users need and there is a lot of value we are driving, I think how search manifests in iOS will work out just fine. We have a long term search partnership and are working together with them, and we’ll have to see.

Pichai also reflected on how Google expected the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to do very well for Apple, adding that Android is healthy both overall and in the high-end market. He adds that Android is building upon the momentum of one billion devices shipped and believes both Google and Apple are doing well as the smartphone industry continues to evolve.

Q: There’s a perception that as Samsung is going through some challenges, Apple is regaining share at the high end. Do you see that in the numbers?

A: Share is tough to assess. There is a lot of noise. Based on what we see things are healthy overall globally including the high end. Apple obviously has done very well with iPhone 6 and 6 plus, but we always expected that. We knew this would be a big upgrade cycle for them. To me looking at the momentum of having shipped a billion devices, people even on the high reporting high loyalty rates across Android, I haven’t seen anything to be concerned about. The bigger story here is a growing pie. All of us are doing well.

The full-length interview goes into more detail about the state of Google, touching upon a number of products and services such as Android, Nest, Google Wallet, Google Hangouts, Google Shopping Express and the Play Store. Pichai also reflects on competitors in various spaces, including Amazon in e-commerce and WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger in messaging.

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
119 months ago
Search is one of my favorite Google products, but I think Apple should drop them as the default. Other search engines are probably good enough for most people, and if they want they can easily change it back. A few years ago during a court proceeding Google provided documents that they make most of their money on iOS vs. Android. Even if Apple changed the default and it resulted in a loss of 10-20% of revenue for Google then that would be fantastic. Google messed up when they screwed over Apple. I like competition but they took it too far, and Steve Jobs was right to go thermonuclear on them.

I hope that Apple is working on their own search (as was rumored) with some of their other partners or startups. It's time for more competition in the search space. I'd use it just to get away from the Google creep factor. I just hope it doesn't end up like Maps.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuitarDTO Avatar
119 months ago
Search, Maps and Gmail. Things I have no interest in moving away from Google.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b0nd18t Avatar
119 months ago
He is really good at shoveling the poo
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oletros Avatar
119 months ago
He adds that Android is building upon the momentum of one billion devices shipped

Key word: Shipped.

Still with the shipped vs sold nonsense? Please, can you point to those secret warehouses or wastelands were those hundred of thousands devices shipped but not sold are hidden?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sualpine Avatar
119 months ago
Politician answers. What I don't like about Google.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cambookpro Avatar
119 months ago
Search is one of my favorite Google products, but I think Apple should drop them as the default. Other search engines are probably good enough for most people, and if they want they can easily change it back. A few years ago during a court proceeding Google provided documents that they make most of their money on iOS vs. Android. Even if Apple changed the default and it resulted in a loss of 10-20% of revenue for Google then that would be fantastic. Google messed up when they screwed over Apple. I like competition but they took it too far, and Steve Jobs was right to go thermonuclear on them.

I hope that Apple is working on their own search (as was rumored) with some of their other partners or startups. It's time for more competition in the search space. I'd use it just to get away from the Google creep factor. I just hope it doesn't end up like Maps.
Why would that be fantastic? What's fantastic about making (especially the less savvy) users forced to use a search engine which is not as good as Google/have to fiddle around in Settings just to be spared having to use Bing or Yahoo?

I don't care how much money Google makes. Both Apple and Google make more than enough. And anyway, if Google somehow went bust it would be awful for the entire smartphone industry. Are you saying it would be better if there was actually less competition?

I, for one, hope Apple don't drop Google as the default option out of spite. It's clearly the best search engine by a long, long way.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...