Without a doubt, Google is still on the rise. After climbing to #1 with its search engine and taking 70% of the global smartphone OS market with its Android operating system, the company have soared to over $260 billion in market capitalisation. With Glass on its way and a rumoured smartwatch to compete with an unannounced 'iWatch' from Apple and a similar contender from Samsung, you'd expect Google's chairman, Eric Schmidt, to have never been more enthusiastic about the company.
It has, however, been revealed in an interview conducted by Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger at the Big Tent Activate Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, that Schmidt's material allegiances lie outside the company. He admitted to using a BlackBerry smartphone, noting the physical keyboard as his favourite feature. What's more, he went on to comment how Apple's iPad mini was "too small" as compared to the full size iPad. The form factor the mini adopts, however, was made popular by tablets such as the Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire - tablets his company provides software for.
Competitors funding competitors?
Revelations such as this aren't unheard of on the Google board of executives, with ex-senior executive Marissa Mayer famously tweeting from an iPhone on numerous occasions. Schmidt himself has also been pictured using a BlackBerry in 2009 and again in 2011 - he has tried to hide his shame, however, by applying a nice "Google" sticker to the back of the competing device.
As the Guardian notes, images taken from within Google's campuses frequently show employees working on Apple MacBooks, even after the release of their own 'Chromebook' devices. The question remains then, is it really a sign of weakness to use competitors' devices? Or is it just a sign that Google's employees are that little bit more 'open' than those of Apple, BlackBerry and Microsoft?
Everyone's on the defensive
Just a day before Samsung's Galaxy S4 announcement, Apple's Phil Schiller took to the Wall Street Journal to slam the company on their alleged lack of innovation. Heck, the Californian tech giant have even created an entire page dedicated to justifying the superiority of their products.
BlackBerry's CEO, Thorsten Heins, couldn't resist to get in on the action, claiming Windows Phone and Android are 'not mobile computing platforms'. A bold claim, for sure, given the previous company 'RIM' hitting the rocks and completely changing its focus with the release of the Z10. Although, at least he doesn't ban his children from using competitors' products. Probably.
The only party not taking pot shots at other is led by Schmidt himself, illustrated when the Google chairman commented they "talk to Apple every day". With Glass upcoming and Android refusing to give in to its own success, we could see the company overtake Apple in value in the near future.
Source: The Guardian | Image: JapanTimes
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