Google will start charging smartphone makers that want to install its app store and services for devices sold in Europe, changes it says it must make to comply with a European Union antitrust order in July that brought a record 4.3 billion euro ($5 billion) fine.
Starting Oct. 29, new phone models that install the Play store and a bundle of Google apps, including Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps, must pay a licensing fee, the Alphabet Inc. unit said in a blog posting Tuesday. Phone manufacturers can choose to add Google’s Search and Chrome browser apps for free or install alternatives.
