Apple Executive Explains Why a Search Engine Isn’t in the Company Pipeline: High Costs and Extended Development Time as Key Factors

In recent years, reports indicated that Apple was making strides to develop its own search engine as a competitor to Google. However, this initiative was likely deprioritized, especially considering that Google was paying Apple an astounding $20 billion in 2022 to maintain its status as the default search engine across numerous devices. While there has been much speculation regarding Apple’s decision not to pursue its own search engine, a company executive has outlined several compelling reasons for this choice.

The Strategic Reasons Behind Apple’s Reluctance to Build a Search Engine

A recent declaration submitted in a U.S. federal court, as highlighted by MacRumors, features insights from Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services. Cue emphasizes that despite having the financial resources to embark on such a project, the scale and complexity of developing a competitive search engine would demand years of effort that could be better allocated to other strategic initiatives.

Moreover, Cue labels the endeavor as ‘economically risky.’ The search engine landscape is rapidly evolving, particularly with advancements in artificial intelligence, an area where Apple has been slow to respond compared to its rivals. As Apple delays in integrating generative AI features, they risk falling further behind in this critical sector. Additionally, if Apple were to successfully develop a search engine, it would necessitate the incorporation of targeted advertising, a practice that contrasts sharply with Apple’s foundational business model.

Another significant factor inhibiting Apple’s search engine ambitions is the talent shortage in this specialized field. Even with a robust financial backing, without the right expertise to fuel development, pouring resources into the venture would likely yield minimal returns. Notably, it has been reported that Microsoft made several attempts to sell its Bing search engine to Apple, only to have those offers turned down due to Bing’s inferior performance in comparison to Google’s highly regarded search capabilities.

According to Cue, the reality is that there is currently no viable alternative to Google, which explains Apple’s continued acceptance of substantial payments from the tech giant to keep Google as the default search engine. However, he warns that if the U.S. Department of Justice were to disrupt this partnership, it could significantly impair Apple’s ability to deliver the optimally tailored products that its users have come to expect.

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