Despite the fact that any sort of search on the internet is highly likely to be referred to as “Googling it”, whether or not the namesake search engine was actually used, Google still apparently feels like they need to do anything and everything to stay on top of the search game. Even if that means paying one of their biggest rivals a billion damn dollars.
$1B 2 B iOS SE

To keep the Google search bar on Apple’s iPhones and other iOS devices, the tech giant reportedly paid one BILLION dollars, ‘Merican, to the other tech giant. The massive payout was part of a revenue-sharing agreement between Google Inc. and Apple Inc. In the reported deal, the company sharing its name with a discontinued, C-squad Muppet (see below) will give the fruit company a percentage of any revenue Google makes through Apple devices.

The search engine deal is somewhat surprising because Google developed (and continues to develop, obvs) the Android operating system—which powers most of the smartphones in the world. Though they’re already well ahead of their competition, Google, in typical Google fashion, wants everything to go exactly the way Google wants it to go. (For example: the entire internet.)

Surprising though it may be, the move does seem to be a pretty crafty one for both parties. Google essentially bought their single largest competitor out of the search game. Google and Apple operating systems account for over 95 percent of all smartphones worldwide as of Q2 2015. Apple got a billion dollars, and, as the deal likely only lasts for a handful of years at most, they’re likely in line for another, even bigger paycheck from Google for the same deal in about 2020.
Oracle vs. Google

Details of the deal came to light as part of a transcript of court proceedings from Oracle Corp.’s 2010 copyright lawsuit against Google. The exact magnitude of the deal has been speculated on for a while now, but has never been publicly disclosed. I am shocked—shocked!—to report that both Apple and Google have so far refused to comment.