Microsoft considered selling Bing search engine to Apple in 2020
In 2020, Microsoft considered selling its Bing search engine to Apple, reported Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter. If the deal had gone through, Bing could have become the default search engine on Apple devices, potentially replacing Google. Microsoft bigwigs met with Apple's services boss, Eddy Cue, to see if Apple might want to buy Bing. But the talks were just exploratory and never got too serious.
Apple had concerns about Bing's competitiveness
Apple likely rejected Bing because they were already making a significant amount of money, estimated at $4 billion to $7 billion, from their deal with Google. Additionally, Apple may have had doubts about whether Bing could match Google in terms of search quality and features. Ultimately, Apple decided to stick with Google as the default search engine on its devices.
Bing's past as a search engine on Apple devices
Bing has been on Apple devices before, though. From 2013 to 2017, Bing was the default web search engine inside Siri and Spotlight on iPhones and iPads. But in 2017, Apple went back to Google after they updated their revenue-sharing agreement. Even though it's not the default search engine on Apple devices anymore, Bing is still an option for Safari search.
Google is currently facing an antitrust case
These discussions have gained renewed importance due to the ongoing legal battle between the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google. DOJ says that Google squashed competition by paying companies like Apple, Verizon, Samsung, and others to set its search engine as the default option. The government is using Apple's deal with Google as proof of Google's unfair dominance in the search market. Executives from both Microsoft and Apple have testified during the ongoing trial.
Apple continues to partner with Google
Apple and Google first teamed up in 2002 when Google became the default search engine in Apple's Safari browser. Since then, they have updated the deal a bunch of times and added other Apple devices to the mix. Apple's Eddy Cue has defended the decision to use Google as the default search engine, saying it's the best search option out there. The partnership between Apple and Google was extended in 2021.
