A NEW court battle featuring tech giant Google and Fortnite creator Epic Games, could spell good news for Android users.
Epic has been fighting both Google and Apple over a number of years concerning the way prices work on their app stores.
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Both the Google Play Store and the App Store require companies to go through their payment systems.
This means that items are often more expensive as both Google and Apple take a cut of the profits.
Twitch is a classic example of this, as subs cost significantly more when purchased via the mobile app instead of on desktop.
This extra money goes directly to Apple or Google, but it appears, for Android at least, this could change.
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A jury has found that Google has used its position to turn the Google Play billing service into a monopoly.
Conversely, Epic Games lost the case against Apple due to differences in how the payment systems work.
Google apparently lost the case thanks to the company’s secret distribution agreements and revenue-sharing models with big game and phone developers.
It’s claimed that these were designed to stifle competitors on other app stores.
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These measures were apparently made in reaction to Epic Games, showing that Google targeted the company with anti-competitive measures.
Epic called the decision “a win for all app developers and consumers around the world.
“It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovation.”
Google will appeal the verdict claiming that “Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform.
“The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles.
“We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem.”
It’s unclear what the knock-on effect for Android users will be currently, but if the appeal is denied, app prices on the Google Play Store could drastically drop.
If you want to read more about Epic Games, then check out our Lego Fortnite review.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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