When you buy an Android, you’ll usually find apps from Google, such as Playstore, Maps, Home, Photos, and the rest of the software suite. However, for Android users in Turkey, this won’t be the case anymore. It’s been reported that Google is likely to stop licensing Google apps for Turkish Androids.
It started with the investigation started by Turkish authorities after Yandex, the popular Russian email provider, lodged a complaint. Yandex alleged that Google used anti-competitive practices, where it insisted smartphone companies to set Google as a default search setting if they wish to pre-install Play store.
Subsequently, in September 2018, Turkey fined Google a hefty penalty of $17.4 million. This was still a small price to pay until Turkish authorities forced Google to remove its embargo on search engine choices to include alternative search engines, like Yandex. Google made stark changes with app licenses in Turkey, yet the regulators found it lacking.
The search engine giant is finding it difficult to find an alternative search engine and in soup. Following the ruling, Google is planning on discontinuing app licenses in Turkey. The country has imposed a daily fine of 0.5% of the company’s revenue until a solution is arrived at.
This does not mean trouble for Android users in Turkey who already have a Google-centered phone. They will continue to receive necessary software updates from the company. Turkish Google enthusiasts will still be able to import smartphones with pre-installed Google apps from other countries.
Hoping to bag a deal, Google has not ceased its communications with Turkey’s competition regulators. The chances look bleak, which is why Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will have to look beyond Google and launch a new race of smartphones that are not dependent on Google’s services.
Imagine such a situation happening in India, where we are so dependent on a foreign search engine that we have not developed our own.
