Google’s Antitrust Showdown, AI vs. Search, and other Headlines

On this week’s episode of The Vergecast, hosts Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Richard Lawler peel back the layers of Google’s high-stakes antitrust trial—and Apple’s surprising defense of its arch-rival.

Apple’s $20 Billion Gamble

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president, took the stand to insist that Google remains “highly competitive” and shouldn’t be forced to break up. Cue’s defense carries extra weight when you remember that Google pays Apple $20 billion each year to stay Safari’s default search engine. That eye-popping figure helps explain why Apple has a vested interest in keeping Google intact—even as Cue warns that AI chatbots could soon cannibalize traditional search on iPhones and beyond.

Is AI the New Search?

• Declining Safari queries: Google search volume in Safari is slipping as more users experiment with AI-powered assistants.
• Future of iPhone search: Could ChatGPT–style interfaces replace the search bar? Cue hinted at that possibility, sparking a debate about whether AI will truly eat Google’s core business.

Antitrust Fronts: App Stores & Social Media

Beyond Google, the hosts unpack other legal dramas:

• App Store clashes: How Apple’s app-distribution rules continue to draw regulatory fire.
• Meta under the microscope: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri’s testimony on data-use practices in Facebook’s parent company’s courtroom battle.

Gadgets & Gizmos: What’s New?

From courtroom testimony to consumer tech, the conversation pivots to the latest device buzz:

• Meta’s “Orion” smart glasses: Facial-recognition demos that are as awe-inspiring as they are unsettling.
• Foldable iPhone rumours: Could Apple really launch a bendable device next year—and how would it fit alongside the standard line-up?
• Microsoft Surface refresh: New hybrid laptops and tablets that aim to outshine both MacBooks and Chromebooks.

Rapid Reactions & Lightning Round

• “Brendan Carr Is a Dummy” redux: FCC Commissioner Carr’s latest remarks get roasted in our signature lightning segment.
• Netflix updates: A sneak peek at upcoming interface tweaks and AI-powered recommendations.

• Robo-lawnmowers & party speakers: From yard-mowing robots to Bluetooth boombox upgrades, we close out with the week’s most offbeat gadget news.