Eric Schmidt: Apple is a 'tremendous technology innovator'

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt talked candidly about Apple as a competitor during Google's Big Tent event in India this week. Schmidt praised Apple for its innovation, but couldn't resist promoting the benefits of the Nexus 10 over the iPad.

Schmidt addressed competing companies including Apple and said, "Apple will continue to be a tremendous technology innovator and build beautiful products, regardless of the market share of the products, and that's a great strength -- they will continue to be the innovator."

When asked about the iPad and the iPad mini, Schmidt deflected the question by responding with a statement about the Nexus 10. "Frankly, if you take a look at the Samsung 10-inch tablet, called the Nexus 10? More apps, more scalable, more secure," he said.

Google and Apple were once friendly rivals competing in different spaces, with Google focused on search and Apple on software and hardware. They were so amicable that Eric Schmidt, then Google CEO, sat on Apple's Board of Directors. This cordial relationship went sour when Google joined the mobile race with the introduction of Android a few months after the release of the iPhone.

[Via The Verge]