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🗣️ Top Stories
If you work in marketing, product, or tech - and want to keep pace with the shifts AI is driving across search, software and strategy - here’s what you need to know this week.
⚖️ Musk’s xAI takes Apple & OpenAI to court -
CNN reports xAI has sued Apple and OpenAI in Texas, alleging the pair have locked up distribution for AI assistants via an exclusive ChatGPT tie-in and skewed App Store rankings that disadvantage rivals like Grok. The charts are based upon downloads, which is a measure of popularity of the app. I caught up with Simon Thillay of AppTweak to find out more (see 'App Store rankings and AI distribution').
Key takeout: Although Apple has been targeted many times before over the suppression of rival apps in favour of their own, I cannot see this going anywhere as these charts are driven by downloads and as ChatGPT is the most popular app, it is clear why it ranks in the top spot. I explore download data for the top AI Chatbot apps in the US further down.
🤝 Perplexity unveils revenue-share for publishers -
NDTV Profit says Perplexity is opening a $42.5m pool and sharing 80% of its new Comet Plus subscription revenue with publishers. Payouts trigger when content gets human visits via the Comet browser, is cited in AI answers, or is used by the agent to complete a task. Early partners span mainstream news and magazines, signalling a push to normalise “pay-to-cite” economics for AI search.
Key takeout: This could be a lifeline for publishers anxious about the next phase of digital monetisation. Perplexity is one of the few AI firms testing both ads and subscriptions, with revenue-sharing at the centre. From sponsored follow-ups to its new Comet Plus model, it’s ensuring publishers get paid - and making a smart play to attract advertisers to promote its Comet browser. All this comes as its ad chief, Taz Patel, exited in August after just nine months.
📉 Publishers brace for ‘Google Zero’ The - FT reports mounting concern that Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode are accelerating a shift to zero-click results. Industry groups cite falling search referrals; Google counters that overall clicks are broadly stable and of higher quality. Publishers are diversifying into subs, events, newsletters and talent-led brands, with local/hyper-specific reporting proving more resilient than evergreen “how-to” fare.
Key takeout: This is a topic I discuss daily with clients, fellow professionals and anyone working in digital media. The days of Google Search sending organic traffic from ten blue links are long gone. Forward-thinking publishers are diversifying into video, newsletters and podcasts - but the real focus is visibility in AI search. How often you feature in these results will soon be one of the defining KPIs for success.
Don’t miss Franc Talking’s exclusive offer with AppTweak (below 👇),the ASO platform trusted to grow visibility in the app stores and unlock new revenue.
Thanks to each and every one of you for subscribing and reading. Have a great week!
Andy
📖 What I’ve been reading this week in business, marketing & tech
👇 Tap-worthy reads worth your time.
✨ AI
🔍 Google & Search
📈 Growth & Insights
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🗣️ App Store rankings and AI distribution
I caught up with Simon Thillay, AppTweak's Head of ASO, to get his view on whether Elon Musk has any argument of foul play on Apple’s behalf – or if this is simply the flywheel effect in action: early mover advantage leading to downloads, which drive rankings, which in turn fuel even more downloads.
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When it comes to Elon Musk's questioning the actual position of Grok in the App Store top chart rankings, I highly doubt there is any foul play on Apple's side, as these rankings merely relay the amount of daily downloads apps are receiving. Considering the argument purely from the perspective of how the App Store is operated, this complaint mostly illustrates the excessive focus of certain executive teams on a metric that reflects popularity rather than its cause. The irony is that Apple executives once debated whether top charts should exist at all, dismissing them as a vanity metric with little value for consumers.
Simon Thillay
Head of ASO, AppTweak
Musk’s current complaint may not stand up, but his August comments on Apple’s “Must Have Apps” and the absence of a clear editorial policy present a more credible challenge:
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I found some of Mr Musk's earlier comments in August more interesting - particularly his questioning of how apps are chosen for curated spaces such as the 'must-have apps' collection. Apple's curation system is more of a black box and while I don't think it’s grounds enough for an antitrust case (since developers agree to this in the App Store developer agreement), a larger debate around editorial recommendations would have been useful. For example, what steps could be taken to spotlight smaller apps, not just the largest and most popular?
Simon Thillay
Head of ASO, AppTweak
📊 AI chatbot app downloads - what the data shows
ChatGPT’s dominance is mainly down to first-mover advantage. It built momentum early and the flywheel of downloads, rankings and visibility keeps reinforcing its lead. Grok, by contrast, didn’t launch until much later - which makes Elon Musk’s accusations of foul play less convincing. The data suggests timing, not bias, explains the gap.
📱 Apple iOS Download Estimates - AppTweak data
If anything, Musk might be better off focusing on Google’s role in pushing Gemini. Gemini’s download spike is less about organic demand and more about distribution muscle. Google has been striking OEM deals - including paying Samsung to make Gemini the default assistant on Galaxy devices - and replacing Assistant with Gemini across Android. In some cases, the app is effectively preloaded, meaning downloads reflect rollout mechanics rather than users seeking it out. That explains the strong earlier figures followed by a drop-off as the default advantage is baked in and Android users no longer need to download the app.
🤖 Google Android Download Estimates - AppTweak data
Other entrants show spikes but struggle to sustain. DeepSeek grab attention in bursts, likely tied to model releases and the China focused PR around the initial launch, but quickly drops back. Microsoft Copilot had a strong start - particularly on iOS - but hasn’t held traction. Perplexity, Claude and Meta AI barely register at scale, showing that niche adoption doesn’t yet translate to mass-market downloads.
🔎 The takeaway
Market dynamics explain most of the charts - though Musk may still find legal angles worth testing. His challenge to OpenAI’s structure is harder to dismiss: under California nonprofit law, a court may decide that promises made at OpenAI’s founding created obligations the company can’t simply walk away from.
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