Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt spotted snapping pics with an Apple iPhone

AppleInsider

Former Google CEO and current Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was in South Korea for a press event this week, where he was spotted taking pictures of the event using an Apple iPhone instead of a Google Android handset.

Via Osen.

Schmidt was in Seoul for Google's artificial intelligence system, DeepMind AlphaGo, which defeated one of the world's best players of Weiqi, or Go, a popular Chinese board game that has existed for 3,000 years.

In a historic matchup, Google DeepMind has defeated Go champion Lee Se-dol twice. And at a press conference for the event, Schmidt was spotted by Osen using what appears to be an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s to snap pictures.

While some phones running Google Android look so similar to the iPhone, in both hardware and software, that they have resulted in lawsuits, the device seen being used by Schmidt is unmistakably an Apple handset. In one image, Schmidt, can be seen using Apple's Camera app, and in another he is seen selecting a photo to send, either via text message, email or otherwise. There's even a nearby iPhone user available via AirDrop.

Via Osen.

While the sight of Schmidt using an iPhone, and not an Android device, may come as a surprise to some, it's not entirely unexpected -- Schmidt continued to use a BlackBerry well after the launch of Android, candidly admitting he preferred the handset's physical keyboard.

And Google, despite its rivalry with Apple, continues to rely heavily on Apple products to deliver its goods and services. In fact, Google paid Apple $1 billion to be the default iOS search provider in Safari back in 2014, court documents recently revealed.

Schmidt served as CEO of Google until 2011, when he stepped down and company co-founder Larry Page took over. Since then he has served as executive chairman of Alphabet, the recently formed parent company of Google.

Prior to that, Schmidt served on the Apple Board of Directors starting 2006. He was forced to resign from that post in 2009, as competition between Apple and Google heated up, particularly in the smartphone space.

spamsandwich

Of greater concern is that Schmidthead is now on the payroll at the Pentagon, pushing Alphabet/Google, undoubtedly to gain military contracts.

roake

Like the Woz?

teejay2012

Possible reasons:
1. He is taking deliberately bad shots and posting them as Tim Cook.
2. He does not want to be tracked while having 'fun'.
3. He really can't tell the difference between phones and just grabbed it from one of Google staff.
4. He is just plain stupid.

ceek74

teejay2012 said:

Possible reasons:
1. He is taking deliberately bad shots and posting them as Tim Cook.
2. He does not want to be tracked while having 'fun'.
3. He really can't tell the difference between phones and just grabbed it from one of Google staff.
4. He is just plain stupid.

#3 because of #4

richdatswho

that's probably 1 of 3 phones he uses...and what better way to understand the competition than to use their product the way in which a consumer would? Elon Musk also owns and drives a Jaguar - does that mean Tesla sucks?

gatorguy

I don't think Google's execs hold any animosity towards Apple. They buy millions in other Apple products so why not a few iPhones too. 

suddenly newton

richdatswho said:

that's probably 1 of 3 phones he uses...and what better way to understand the competition than to use their product the way in which a consumer would? Elon Musk also owns and drives a Jaguar - does that mean Tesla sucks?

"Understand the competition"???
You are aware that Schmidt was a board member when Apple developed the iPhone, and that he came out on stage during the iPhone's launch keynote in 2007 to praise what a magnificent job Apple had done? Are you aware Apple worked with Google prior to launch to get Maps and YouTube data, ad free? Did you know Schmidt and Jobs worked out a deal to make Google the default search engine in Safari? Back then they weren't the competition, they were partners. Schmidt understood the iPhone from the beginning.

nolamacguy

richdatswho said:

that's probably 1 of 3 phones he uses...and what better way to understand the competition than to use their product the way in which a consumer would? Elon Musk also owns and drives a Jaguar - does that mean Tesla sucks?

Schmidt is so removed from product dev that this is very unlikely.

nolamacguy

gatorguy said:

I don't think Google's execs hold any animosity towards Apple. They buy millions in other Apple products so why not a few iPhones too. 

how could they? their entire product line is dependent on Apple devices, both in origin and in ongoing revenue.

antonpablo

It's pretty obvious.. He's using a phone that law enforcement and the FBI can't crack.

blastdoor

richdatswho said:

that's probably 1 of 3 phones he uses...and what better way to understand the competition than to use their product the way in which a consumer would? Elon Musk also owns and drives a Jaguar - does that mean Tesla sucks?

I think this is a possible explanation, but it would be more likely if we were talking about the current CEO or someone further down in the organization (and closer to the development and marketing of Android). I would imagine that Schmidt is pretty far removed these days from the marketing and development of Android. So unless he just takes an unusually strong personal interest (for someone in his position) in understanding how Android compares to the competition, my guess is that he just likes the iPhone better. I would also guess that he has far more important demands on his time than to go through the trouble of moving between multiple mobile platforms -- moving between platforms is fine for tech journalists, but for anyone whose got a normal job and life, moving between platforms is a PITA. 

evilution

richdatswho said:

that's probably 1 of 3 phones he uses...and what better way to understand the competition than to use their product the way in which a consumer would? Elon Musk also owns and drives a Jaguar - does that mean Tesla sucks?

No, it's probably for when he wants to drive more than 250 miles round trip.

koop

I'm pretty certain Schmidt is an Apple fan and has said as much. Google has a lucrative relationship with Apple, and supports the iPhone sometimes better than their own Android OS. They are and will always be a services company first. Android just ensures they capture the other 90% of the market.

Its not like Apples cloud services are competing so well that Google is having profitability issues or stock price issues. Schmidt has made more money from the iPhone than most executives at Apple. I'm sure he loves the thing.

messagepad2100

teejay2012 said:

Possible reasons:
1. He is taking deliberately bad shots and posting them as Tim Cook.
2. He does not want to be tracked while having 'fun'.
3. He really can't tell the difference between phones and just grabbed it from one of Google staff.
4. He is just plain stupid.

5. Maybe he actually used Android, and got sick of the clunkiness.

edited March 2016

thewhitefalcon

richdatswho said:

that's probably 1 of 3 phones he uses...and what better way to understand the competition than to use their product the way in which a consumer would? Elon Musk also owns and drives a Jaguar - does that mean Tesla sucks?

That would be because it's still a bit hard to
take long distance trips with a Tesla if you're not following the Supercharger network. 

maestro64

teejay2012 said:

Possible reasons:
1. He is taking deliberately bad shots and posting them as Tim Cook.
2. He does not want to be tracked while having 'fun'.
3. He really can't tell the difference between phones and just grabbed it from one of Google staff.
4. He is just plain stupid.

5. He is still trying to spy on apple and this is only what he know how to see what Apple is doing.

stargazerct

SpamSandwich said:

Of greater concern is that Schmidthead is now on the payroll at the Pentagon, pushing Alphabet/Google, undoubtedly to gain military contracts.

Or Google is, and has always been, a front for the government.

gatorguy

stargazerct said:

SpamSandwich said:

Of greater concern is that Schmidthead is now on the payroll at the Pentagon, pushing Alphabet/Google, undoubtedly to gain military contracts.

Or Google is, and has always been, a front for the government.

LOL. 

tzeshan

teejay2012 said:

Possible reasons:
1. He is taking deliberately bad shots and posting them as Tim Cook.
2. He does not want to be tracked while having 'fun'.
3. He really can't tell the difference between phones and just grabbed it from one of Google staff.
4. He is just plain stupid.

5. Like Samsung, he wants to keep spying on iPhone.  

macsalways

bulldogs said:

The reality: the hatred for other platforms and insistence on only using a single one is absolutely, definitely an Apple thing only. 

When you use the very best how can you not hate all the ripoffs, also-rans, and just plain junk that other platforms push? I've used most of that other stuff, and refuse to be a masochist any longer.

edited March 2016