Victory over Google: Epic app store will be pre-installed on millions of Android smartphones

Telefónica, one of the world’s largest mobile operators, which operates the O2 and Movistar cellular networks in the UK, Spain, Germany and Latin America, will begin pre-installing the Epic Games Store on every Android smartphone it sells, including Samsung models. Telefónica and Epic called it part of a “long-term partnership” to bring the app store and Fortnite to “millions” of the operator’s devices.

Image Source: Epic Games

The agreement between Telefónica and Epic will be Epic’s first big practical success against Google’s app store monopoly. Back in 2020, Epic filed a lawsuit alleging that Google had “blocked” or “bribed” smartphone manufacturers and cell phone carriers in an effort to prevent alternative app stores from being pre-installed on phones.

Last December, a federal court unanimously sided with Epic Games in Epic v. Google, finding that Google had turned its Google Play app store and its payment system into an illegal monopoly. In October 2024, Judge James Donato issued a final decision, ruling that Google must open its platform for fair competition. Now these solutions have taken practical form – one of the world’s largest operators will begin to pre-install a competing gaming store (which in the future may also contain non-gaming applications) in addition to Google’s app store.

Technically, Epic only launched the Epic Games Store on mobile devices in August of this year. The company previously offered smartphone manufacturers and carriers several different types of apps to download Fortnite. Epic has managed to secure deals to pre-install Fortnite app downloaders with Samsung, LG, OnePlus, and Huawei. But these deals did not bring any noticeable real benefits – due to Google’s opposition, OnePlus managed to implement the agreement with Epic only in India, LG terminated the contract altogether, and the rest “slowed down the agreement.”

Experts say Telefónica was not “bribed” by Google. The company has previously collaborated with Epic. Back in 2020, it allowed Movistar customers in Spain to add Fortnite purchases to their cell phone bill. Telefónica could then count on receiving five percent of the cost of copies of Fortnite sold in this way.

It remains to be seen whether other major carriers such as Verizon and Hutchison (Three, Wind Tre) will follow Telefónica’s lead. It is also unknown how Samsung will react to pre-installing the Epic Game Store on its phones, because in September of this year, Epic also sued Samsung.