However, what the EU should have done - and can still do - is force Google not do bundle Play Services with its other apps or Android in general. If Google's other apps don't work without the Play Services framework, well, that's Google's problem, isn't it? And maybe then it should make its apps more interoperable with other frameworks.
I've emailed the senior editor to ask who wrote it, as it appears Bloomberg is hiding their identity behind the "Editorial Board" account.
This is a complete Google win. Now they can charge without looking bad.
Google previously offered a single bundle of apps, one that contained apps that it made money on, and one that contained apps that cost them money. Since OEMs are required to include all of them, Google charges $0 for them.
Now, they'll have two bundles: One that phone makers will pay for, and one that phone makers will be paid to include. If they're still getting both bundles, it's a wash. Again, $0 changes hands.
But what could happen now that it's unbundled, is Bing could pay to have Bing preloaded instead by outbidding Google, and then they can still pay for the Play Store and such. In that scenario, the OEM actually saves money under this change, because there's competition to Google now, where that wasn't possible before. Bing would pay the OEM per phone more than the OEM has to pay Google for the Play Store.
