Allegedly Google pays between $8 billion and $12 billion each year to be default search engine on Iphones and Ipads[1]. They could stop paying Apple and save $12 billion every year.

My only reasoning is if Google doesn't pay some other search engine will for example Bing but then again Google is the most searched word on Bing[2].

So Google is entrapped in a situation where they are afraid not to be default search engine on Apple devices because Microsoft could jump in or even Apple itself with its future search engine. I don't see how this decision is reasonable because let's say Google pays $100bn in 10 years that's a lot of money that could've been invested elsewhere or even in Google Search itself.

This brings me to conclusion that Peter Thiel was right when he said Google bets that no one else will come with better search technology so Google uses its enormous cash flow to stay dominant instead of investing all that cash to improve search technology and and come up with search innovations[3].

[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/21/apple-services-success-story-bolstered-by-huge-google-payments.html

[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58749525

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q26XIKtwXQ