Apple Search Rumors Are Back: Google Trembles, But So Does Apple

Google is the absolute dominant of the search engines on the Internet. Despite alternatives and rules designed to try to undermine its position, it still controls 90% of the market share. Something that almost makes you not want to play with new competitors … Or maybe Apple wants to?

Although this has been discussed for many years, a new report from Information now indicates what is really Apple is working on italthough he still has time for a mature project.

The idea of ​​a search engine makes sense for businesses. Apple sees its advertising business skyrocketing. Restrictions on third-party apps to track users of their devices, which saw Facebook/Meta and Google see a significant hole in their accounts, have forced the Cupertino firm, while defending its position as a privacy advocate, to increase its advertising business.

Your App Store ad placements continue to grow, and so does your profitability. For this reason, the idea of ​​a search engine that would certainly show adssince this is its main monetization path, Apple will close the circle as an advertising company.

However, Apple itself should appreciate these efforts, given that it currently receives a very large amount of money from Google to keep its default browser in Safari. For years, there has been talk of between $10,000 and $15,000 million, equivalent to 3 to 4% of an apple company’s revenue. To get an idea, it’s also a similar amount to what Netflix has been spending to produce its original content in recent years.

Why would Apple give up this “easy” money? Does it make sense for a web browser to focus like in closed ecosystems? Or, on the other hand, why is Google accepting it despite its position as a privacy advocate? Can Google fear a competitor other than Bing, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo?

Growing evidence that Apple is working on its own search engine

Apple acquired an AI news startup called Laserlike in 2018. which was founded by a group of engineers from Google. This was his first step in the seeker. However, according to new information, its founders have just returned to Google.

Laserlike co-founder Srinivasan Venkatachari has taken on the role of senior director of Apple’s search team, helping to manage at least 200 employees. This team is responsible for the development of features such as Spotlight and Siri Suggestions, as well as the responses of the Siri voice assistant itself.

During his tenure at Apple, Venkatachari reported to Apple’s VP of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, John Giannandrea, who is also a former Google executive. Venkatachari also expanded Apple’s search team.focusing on recruiting various Google Search employees.

From alliance to competition?

However, as we said, Apple and Google are competitors and partners in the search industry at the same time. Fitting parts is important, and new information indicates that Apple has “at least four years” left to do so.

In the meantime, Apple will focus on expanding technologies developed by Venkachatara’s former team to “strengthen Apple Music and App Store search.” It can also use the technology to “generate data for Apple teams that develop applications that use natural language processing, such as translation applications,” the report says.

What also seems obvious is that only a company like Apple can compete head-to-head with Google.

Google’s search engine monopoly has been generous so far, with only a few crumbs left by competitors like Bing or DuckDuckGo, the search engine that made privacy its value-added and which was also supposedly bought by Apple. In this context, options like Newa, founded by the former Google, are now offering offers as subscription search engines to limit tracking and ads.

Is there an offer from Apple? It might be a matter of time to check it out, we already know that Apple is working on it, there’s still time, but it’s perfect for its growing source of ad revenue. Though perhaps not much with its privacy protection flag.