Apple is to work on its own search engine. Are they preparing a competitor for Google? Here is the “Pegasus” project

The default search engine on Apple devices is currently Google, which is of course due to the agreement between the two companies. Apple provides its customers with its competitor’s solution, but in return it receives part of the profits it generates from advertising for Google. Apparently, however, Apple will be tempted to create its own search engine so that it can earn even more money.

Apple is working on its own search engine. Will there be a competitor to Google?

At least this is according to the reports of a well-informed journalist, Marek Gurman, who described Apple’s actions. Gurman learned from his sources that work on its own search engine is already underway, and the search engine is being developed under the internal code name “Pegasus”.

The work is to be led by John Giannandrea, a former Google executive who supervises the machine learning and artificial intelligence teams at Apple. Giannandrea also has a “gigantic search team” under him, and Apple has enough resources to create a competitor to Google, Gurman writes. However, it is not clear when Apple would be able to refine the project on such a scale, but its possible premiere would probably make sense only after the contract with Google expires.

These activities – although probably expensive – are intended to help Apple earn money by displaying search results. Thanks to the agreement with Google – as Bloomberg writes – Apple receives approximately USD 8 billion annually. If Apple managed to develop and offer its own search engine to its customers on iPhones and MacBooks, the company would earn much more from advertising.

Of course, it is not certain that the “Pegasus” project will be completed at all and Google’s position as an almost monopolist in the search engine industry will be at any risk. If the search engine isn’t good enough, Apple’s efforts could be useful in improving internal search engines that help users find relevant resources on their iPhones and MacBooks.