Google has always been the default search engine in Apple’s browser on the iPhone and iPad as well as on its desktops and laptops starting years earlier. But that deal is up for renewal in early 2015, sources tell The Information, and Yahoo and Microsoft have separately begun to pitch Apple executive Eddy Cue for the business, according to people at those companies who were briefed about the bake-off.
“To me Apple’s very, very clear, and, in fact, I think Tim Cook did a great job of even describing that very recently where he said they sell devices,” Mr. Nadella said last week, sitting in an armchair. “That’s what Apple is all about.
“And Google is about being — you know, it’s about data or it’s about advertising, it is about serving you ads in a tasteful way, and they’ve done a great job of that business,” he continued.