This article seems inaccurate. Google doesn't charge for Google apps except in the EU, where it does because of EU regulators - that's where the "up to 40$" claim comes from [1]
Per that article, it looks like in general google bundles chrome and search with the rest of the Google apps, and so is happy to offer it for free since search basically pays for the whole app suite. The EU doesn't like this bundling so google charges for apps there, but manufacturers can enter into a deal to use chrome and search and essentially get that money back through search engine revenue sharing.
Per that article, it looks like in general google bundles chrome and search with the rest of the Google apps, and so is happy to offer it for free since search basically pays for the whole app suite. The EU doesn't like this bundling so google charges for apps there, but manufacturers can enter into a deal to use chrome and search and essentially get that money back through search engine revenue sharing.
1. https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/19/17999366/google-eu-andro...