Google can no longer force Android device makers to include the Play Store in Europe

The Verge reported that Google will start charging Android device makers a fee for using its apps in Europe.

There is one other key change happening here. In the past, Google required that companies building phones or tablets that included the Play Store only build phones and tablets that included the Play Store — they couldn’t make other devices with a forked version of Android. Now, that’ll be allowed. So if Samsung wants to ship both the regular Galaxy S9 with Google’s Play Store and some whackadoo Galaxy phone that runs, say, Amazon’s Fire OS, it can now do that in Europe.

This is the real reason for charging Android device makers licensing fees for using Play Store and Google apps.