Tech industry titans Tim Cook and Eric Schmidt took their battle for corporate domination to the heart of Europe on Tuesday seeking to win over new startups and IT enthusiasts.
In a rare move, Apple chief executive Cook and his bitter rival, Alphabet boss Schmidt appeared at the opening day of a seminar organised in Amsterdam for the week-long Startup Europe Fest – although they did not take the stage together.
And Schmidt, chief executive for Alphabet and former Google boss, triggered laughter when he revealed he had an iPhone – made by his rival – in his pocket as well as a Samsung.
When an audience show of hands revealed more people had an iPhone than an Android, Schmidt said ironically: “So much for the Android monopoly in Europe.”
“The Samsung is better, has a better battery. Are we clear?” he insisted. “And to those of you who are iPhone users, I’m right!”
At the top of the corporate world, Apple and Google are in a back-and-forth battle to be number one.
It’s not clear which of the two Silicon Valley giants will emerge on top in a contest which highlights the contrast of very different business models.
The two companies have a virtual duopoly on the smartphone market, but Apple makes its own hardware and software while Google provides only the free Android software for handsets, including many made by low-cost manufacturers.
