A launch that comes with quiet courtroom drama
Matt V
April 28, 2025
Testimony from Google’s antitrust trial this week revealed that Google is paying Samsung a large monthly sum to preinstall its Gemini AI app on Samsung devices, according to Bloomberg.
This comes after Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google’s search engine operates as an illegal monopoly, setting off a legal debate over what the penalty should be.
Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s VP of platforms and device partnerships, confirmed that payments to Samsung started in January, right when the Galaxy S25 launched with Gemini set as the default AI assistant, pushing Samsung’s own Bixby into the background.
Fitzgerald also said that other companies, including Microsoft and Perplexity, had tried to strike similar deals with Samsung.
However, DOJ lawyers pointed out that Google only sent letters to amend its agreements with phone makers just days before the trial began.
Here’s what you should know:
Google is paying Samsung monthly and sharing Gemini subscription revenue under a two-year deal.
DOJ lawyers say Google had considered stricter deals linking Gemini to Search and Chrome.
The trial could limit how Google strikes future default placement deals and uses its search data.
Catch flights, not last-minute contracts
Bloomberg reports that the Samsung deal lasts two years and includes fixed monthly payments plus a share of Gemini’s subscription revenue.
While the exact sums weren’t disclosed, DOJ lawyers described the amount as “enormous.”
If the DOJ gets its way, Google could be banned from making default placement deals, forced to sell Chrome, and required to license much of the data behind Google Search.
Google argues that any penalties should only apply to future placement agreements.
Meanwhile, Bixby watching from the sidelines like 👀.