Apple Considered Bing Acquisition to Rival Google, Exec Testifies

Apple considered acquiring Microsoft's Bing search engine to compete with Google, according to unsealed testimony from an Apple executive.

Apple currently has a lucrative revenue-sharing agreement with Google, where Google pays Apple billions to be the default search engine on iPhones.

Apple evaluated options like acquiring Bing or partnering with Microsoft, but ultimately decided not to pursue them.

Apple has begun diverting some search queries from Google using its own "Safari Suggestions" feature.

Apple leveraged interest in Microsoft's Bing as bargaining power when negotiating its deal with Google.