SAN FRANCISCO, California — A US judge on Friday let Google delay opening Android-powered smartphones to rival app shops, suspending a November 1 deadline ordered in an antitrust case brought by 'Fortnite'-maker Epic Games.

Google was pleased by federal judge James Donato's decision to 'temporarily pause the implementation of dangerous remedies demanded by Epic,' a company spokesman said, as an appeals court considers permanently blocking the order stemming from Epic's argument that the tech titan's Android Play store is an illegal monopoly.