Bloomberg recently published a story that Apple is utilizing an internally developed search engine to power its app store and other internal phone searches in the latest version of its iOS.
Apple calls the search algorithm “Pegasus” and while the initial launch seems somewhat mundane it has shaken tech insiders with the promise of what it could mean.
The iPhone is used by an estimated 1.5 billion users worldwide and Apple’s current search provider for its Safari browser is Google.
If Apple decided to replace Google with its own Pegasus search engine for browser searching it could create a seismic shift in the way users find their way around the Internet.
But that is a big “if”.
Google is by far the dominant player in the search world with a market share north of 90%.
But Apple’s large share of the phone market might make it easier to chip away at the dominance where many other companies have failed.
Recently news was leaked that Apple and Microsoft had been discussing the potential of Microsoft’s Bing search engine being used by Apple.
Those meetings occurred back in 2020 with Microsoft coming to Apple with the idea.
But that news further fueled the speculation that Apple is continuing to figure out a way to pull away from its agreement with Google.
For now, Google doesn’t seem to be that concerned and continues to pay Apple between $8 and $12 billion to remain the default for Apple’s Safari browser.
The bottom line is that Apple has a long way to go until it can offer something that can compete with Google’s search function.
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