[solalf]

I don’t think this is about how technically complex that would be. That’s clearly not where the moat is. The moat is in the commercial operations powering the cash machine that Google has built across its numerous properties.

You can build this engine but it won’t give you the richness of the data Google collects through Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Analytics etc… on its users. You could argue that Apple could try, through its own properties, but it would go against the privacy stance (essential to their image now).

Not saying they aren’t capable of dancing around this problem either, but then you start eroding your brand (which sells lots of iPhones). That’s when you start seeing that it’s just simpler to externalize this cost to a third party that you can then openly criticize and use as scarecrow to reinforce your market position, all the while collecting tens of billions in profits from them.

Yes profits, they don’t pay anything to operate Google Search. Given that Google gives them a third of revenue on Safari, that means Apple would need a product that does multiple times what they get for it today. That also requires a sales force they don’t fully have (although that’s been increasing for their own properties like AppStore and News).

Anyway, looking at it from this angle, it’s kind of genius not to change the status quo.