Google is shelling out a significant monthly sum to Samsung in exchange for making its Gemini AI assistant the default on Galaxy devices, according to courtroom testimony revealed this week during Google’s ongoing antitrust trial.
As reported by Bloomberg, the arrangement sees Google paying Samsung a fixed monthly fee—described as an “enormous sum”—to preinstall Gemini on its smartphones. The deal began in January 2025, coinciding with the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S25, where Gemini replaced Samsung’s own Bixby as the default assistant triggered by a long-press of the power button.
The testimony came from Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s VP of platforms and device partnerships, who confirmed the Gemini agreement spans two years and also includes a revenue-sharing element. Alongside the fixed payments, Google is reportedly giving Samsung a portion of ad revenue generated through the Gemini app.
This revelation comes as Google faces mounting scrutiny from the Department of Justice over its dominance in search and its broader AI strategy. The antitrust trial, now well underway, follows a recent ruling that Google’s search engine constitutes an illegal monopoly. The DOJ is now pushing for sweeping remedies, including potentially barring Google from making default placement deals like the one it has with Samsung.
Fitzgerald also revealed that other major tech players—including Microsoft and Perplexity—attempted to strike similar AI preinstallation deals with Samsung but were ultimately outbid by Google. However, DOJ attorneys pointed out that Google only sent letters to partners attempting to revise its contracts a week before the trial began—potentially a strategic move to soften regulatory blowback.
Internal Google documents shown during the hearing also suggested that the company was considering even more aggressive distribution terms, potentially tying the installation of Gemini to other products like Google Search and Chrome.
The DOJ’s stance is that these types of deals help entrench Google’s dominance and stifle competition. If successful, the case could lead to a dramatic reshaping of how Google distributes its products—especially as AI becomes an increasingly central battleground in mobile and cloud ecosystems.
