Google points to Motorola’s deals to pre-install Perplexity AI, Microsoft apps as evidence in antitrust case

Testimonies from the ongoing Department of Justice antitrust trial against Google have revealed that Lenovo’s Motorola smartphones will have AI applications from Google, Microsoft and Perplexity AI pre-installed on them. 

The updates from the US government’s antitrust case against Google came after the testimony of Google executive Peter Fitzgerald.

Peter Fitzgerald testifies in court

Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s Vice President of Platforms and Device Partnerships, testified on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, that Motorola’s new devices will feature AI apps from Perplexity AI, Microsoft, and Google.

Fitzgerald testified in Washington federal court as part of the ongoing US Department of Justice antitrust case against Google. His testimony shows that while Google has channeled its effort into maintaining a dominant presence in the AI assistant space, the company insists that consumers will have options for other AI applications.

His testimony also lends credibility to an earlier Bloomberg report stating that Perplexity was in talks with Motorola and Samsung. On 24 April, Motorola will be hosting a product event, where the partnership between the companies will be discussed.

Fitzgerald also stated that Samsung Electronics Co. is also in discussions with multiple AI companies about including their apps on its phones.

Judge Amit Mehta found in 2024 that Google was illegally monopolizing the market for online search by paying device and browser manufacturers to ensure they used its search engine as the default technology.

The Justice Department has asked Mehta to ban Google from paying for search engine defaults. The DOJ’s proposed ban would also apply to Google’s AI products, including Gemini, which the agency says were aided by the company’s illegal monopoly in search.

Google recently clarified that its contracts do not prevent phone manufacturers from installing other voice assistants or generative AI apps, Fitzgerald testified. According to him, Google sent letters clarifying the terms last week.

However, a DOJ lawyer pointed out the convenience of Google’s attempt to amend its deal with phone manufacturers just before the trial.

Motorola dips into a competitive AI assistant market

The deals to add Perplexity AI, Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini on Motorola devices are evidence of an AI assistant market that is getting more competitive.

Perplexity AI is a startup founded in 2022 that offers a conversational search assistant that provides direct responses to users’ questions. The integration of the AI assistant on Motorola’s devices is a strategy for the company to expand its user base.​

The inclusion of Microsoft’s Copilot, which is integrated with its Bing search engine contributes to the competitiveness of the AI assistant market. The presence of these AI alternatives challenges Google’s established dominance and could lead to increased innovation and choice for users.​

The DOJ’s antitrust case against Google focuses on concerns that Google’s previous exclusive deals with device manufacturers have stifled competition in the AI industry.

Testimony from the trial previously revealed that Google paid Samsung an “enormous sum” to pre-install its Gemini AI assistant, sidelining Samsung’s Bixby. Such deals between tech companies are under scrutiny for potentially maintaining Google’s dominance and restricting the distribution of rival AI products.​