EU Android antitrust probe may affect Google's mobile model

San Francisco

GOOGLE'S means of making money from the smartphone boom is under threat in Europe. Antitrust regulators in the region are expected to unveil charges soon that could require the Alphabet Inc unit to change how it lodges tools such as Search onto phones - and make it harder for Google to generate revenue from mobile advertisements.

"It's hugely important," said Victor Anthony, an analyst at Axiom Capital Management. "My main concern is that they force large-scale business model changes on Google."

At issue are agreements that give Google applications prominence on devices running the company's Android operating…