Google Chairman Eric Schmidt sat down for an in-depth interview with AllThingsD talk, with Walt Mossberg on Wednesday. The majority of the interview was focused on the ongoing Apple vs. Android platform war, that Schmidt called “the defining fight in the industry today.” He also spoke about another race going on in regards to Apple and Android platforms providing addition features.
“The Android-Apple platform fight is the defining contest. Here’s why: Apple has thousands of developers building for it. Google’s platform, Android, is even larger. Four times more Android phones than Apple phones. 500 million phones already in use. Doing 1.3 million activations a day. We’ll be at 1 billion mobile devices in a year.”
When the heavy questions started coming about the “Maps” issue in regards to Google’s relationship with Apple, and his company being left out in iOS 6, he was very blunt. Mossberg stated “Apple says you didn’t give them all the features they wanted.” Schmidt simply replied their maps are better and now Apple knows how hard the task is. When asked if Google would build their own maps for iOS 6, Schmidt replied the company doesn’t wish to pre-announce products, but the two companies are always in communication on the matter. He also spoke about Apple not approving many of Google’s maps features and apps in the past, and nothing has changed as of late.
The interview also touched on the red hot topic of patent lawsuits, and the large mess it has become for the tech industry. Unfortunately Schmidt wouldn’t comment on Apple’s victory in August over Samsung, but did express his thoughts on the overall subject. He explained the victims aren’t Apple and Google, but the small companies who can’t acquire patents to protect themselves.
“Patent wars are a disaster for all of us. Everyone can find prior art for everything. So the new trick is to get judges to block devices country by country. It’s bad for innovation, it’s bad for choices.”
Photo Credit: AllthingsD.com
