Tech giant reportedly paid Apple $1 billion to keep search bar on iPhones

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January 22, 2016 1:24 PM

Apple reportedly received $1 billion from Google in 2014 to keep the Google search bar on the iPhone – one of the most popular devices on the planet.

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According to various media reports, Google is paying Apple a very hefty fee to keep its search bar on the iPhone.

Bloomberg reports that Apple received $1 billion from Google in 2014 to keep the Google search bar on the iPhone – one of the most popular devices on the planet.

This information was contained in a transcript of the proceedings from Oracle’s copyright lawsuit against Google. According to the reports, an attorney for Oracle said the search giant has an agreement with Apple that gives the iPhone maker a percentage of the revenue Google generates through Apple devices, at a hearing in court in the US.

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Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, and Google spokesman Aaron Stein both declined to comment on the information disclosed in court, according to the Bloomberg report.

Oracle has been fighting Google in court since 2010 over claims that the search giant used its Java software to develop Android, without paying for it. The damages Oracle currently seek could well exceed $1 billion after it expanded its case to include newer Android versions.

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