Google app licenses for Android to reach US$40 per phone

The European Commission fined Google no less than US$5 billion back in July for pushing its software products on Android devices. Google appealed to the fine a few days ago and the result for the end users is that — starting in early 2019 — they will probably pay more for Android phones. The reason for this is that Google will start charging OEMs that want to use its apps without pre-installing Chrome and Search.

A new report shows how much will Google charge depending on location and pixel density of the device:

• US$2.5 for "lower-end phones in some countries"
• US$10 for 399 ppi or lower
• US$20 for 400 to 500 ppi
• US$40 for 501 ppi and above

Leaving aside the fees mentioned above, it is also worth mentioning that OEMs that will not install Chrome and Search will not receive any revenue generated from Google searches on the Chrome browser. However, it also seems that the US$10 to US$40 fees mentioned above will be applied to the UK, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. These are first-tier EU countries, and those in the other two tiers available might end up with lower fees, reveals The Verge.

In the end, the impact on the handsets' prices might not be that big, but maybe the time has come for Ubuntu to make a proper return to the mobile market. In the end all empires fall, and even if it maintains its supremacy, Google Android definitely needs a new open-source competitor.