Wireless carriers unwilling to risk Google contracts refused new app on Samsung device
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Wireless carriers didnât want to put their contracts with Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) at risk and refused to allow Samsung Electronics (OTCPK:SSNLF) to load one of its devices with a unique app search capability, a former Samsung investment adviser said at the antitrust trial against the U.S. tech giant on Thursday.
âThe carriers had concerns it cannibalized their existing search revenues,â said Patrick Chang, a former director at Samsung Next Ventures, a U.S.-based venture capital arm of the South Korean electronics company, Bloomberg reported.
Samsung wanted to employ a function designed by mobile software company Branch Metrics that could search across apps, something Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) at the time could not do. Samsung Next Ventures was also an investor in Branch Metrics. 
The lawsuit, brought forth by the U.S. Department of Justice, alleges that Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) uses contracts with device makers and wireless providers to illegally maintain a monopoly in online search by making it the default option on devices. Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) has repeatedly denied the allegation and says users choose its search engine because itâs the best one.
Last month, Apple (AAPL) executive Eddy Cue testified that Apple chose Google to be its default browser for its Safari mobile browser because the Google search engine is the best option for consumers.
Earlier this week, Microsoft (MSFT) Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said on the stand that Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) will have an even greater dominance over the search market with AI now being incorporated. In comparison and despite investing $100B, Microsoftâs (MSFT) rival search tool Bing is a âvery, very low share player,â Nadella testified.

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