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Sundar Pichai to Tim Cook: Android’s not a toxic hell stew, it’s just a more popular operating system

Sundar-Pichai-Android-BloombergBloomberg Businessweek just published a lengthy profile and interview with Google’s head of Android and Chrome Sundar Pichai and within addressed some of Apple’s recent comments about Android. While much of the conversation circled around what we can expect from Google at this year’s developer conference and Sundar’s scheduled keynote address — wearables and TV will be a big focus— Sundar was also asked his thoughts on Apple’s recent announcements at its own WWDC developer conference earlier this month.

While noting that much of what Apple announced for iOS 8 were features that Android already had— third party keyboards, widgets, etc— Sundar said shipping a new version of Google Play every six weeks makes Android allows them to “move the platform faster than anyone else and provide a consistent layer for developers.” Next he addressed Tim Cook’s claim from WWDC that Apple is gaining lots of new customers from Android switchers:

Every piece of data I look at tells me that people are adopting Android at a faster pace than any other operating system. We are doing remarkably well… They run a great show. I take it for the value of the show… Do I worry about what they are doing? Yes. They are a great company. I think they are building a very good product and it’s vertically integrated, which helps them do certain things faster.

Sundar also attempted to tackle Tim Cook’s comments referring to Android’s security as a “toxic hell stew”:

“It must be liberating [for Apple] to wake up and think about your device, your software, and hey, ‘I can even call the chipset guys and say what the chip should be,’” he says. “I have to think about building a platform and bringing as many people along on this journey and getting it right. I believe that ultimately it’s a more powerful approach, but it’s a lot more stressful as well.”

You have to be careful when you make a $100,000 Mercedes car not to look at rest of automotive industry and make comments on it… We serve the entire breadth of the market, globally across all form factors, et cetera. Android from the ground up is designed to be very, very secure… History shows typically that malware is also targeted at the more popular operating system. So you know there is that.

The full interview is available on Bloomberg here where Sundar also confirmed Google will show off the next major Android release, TV related announcements, and its new Android Wear wearables platform.

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Comments

  1. drtyrell969 - 10 years ago

    iOS is your grandmother’s Scone.

    • Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

      Didn’t take long for the paid Google shills to invade…

      • rakinjannot - 10 years ago

        You’re insulting Google. If Google was going to pay someone to bash iOS, they’d hire someone more competent. This guy clearly just gets off being an Apple hater browsing 9to5Mac, for some unknowable reason.

      • Scumbag Apple haters who use Android usually come and write comments like these everywhere on the Apple websites. What’s funny to watch, real Apple fans and users don’t do that because they’re brave enough.

    • Grandmothers Scone? My Grandmother makes great scones they are wonderful and something I look forward to.

    • scumbolt2014 - 10 years ago

      Andriod is your great grandpa’s wet turd after eating a salad.

  2. Yes yes, blah blah, google crap…

    • Non of people I know has Android because they want to, but because they have to (money – carrier). What can he tell about that? Totally ignorant of him to say this.

      • South Jersey Droid - 10 years ago

        Wow, that wasn’t an ignorant comment? I guess you are hanging with a bunch of 90 year olds, who use Apple iOS to make themselves feel smarter. And with 79% of the market share, you claim you don’t know anyone who uses Android… LIAR!

      • Joseph Kinney - 10 years ago

        He didn’t say he doesn’t know anyone who uses Android, he was saying they use it out of necessity, by either financial restrictions or carrier availability

      • Troy (@Bulldogger123) - 10 years ago

        Dude, you have to lump practically every other handset maker in the world together to compete with Apple for market share, so use biased stats like that if it makes you feel better. Everyone else knows the truth!

      • Bryan Hough - 10 years ago

        I’ve always used Android mostly because I prefer the more plantiful features and choice of hardware. I’m not an Apple hater, I own a Mac and an Apple TV, but I can tell you honestly that I bought an iPhone 5s a couple of months ago to try and make the switch to all Apple products, but I had to return it for the new HTC One m8. To me, the iPhone felt disconnected compared to Google Now’s contextually aware and predictive nature and the whole OS felt like Android on training wheels to me. I’m not trying to be an immature flame war starter, but I get very offended when people say that people choose Android for the price or because it’s cheap. That’s bullshit, a flagship Android phone costs the same thing as an iPhone. I CHOOSE Android because iOS is a nice OS, but it’s no good for a power user like me.

      • Mike Knopp (@mknopp) - 10 years ago

        @Bryan Hough:

        There are pretty much three types that buy Android, technically any type of phone but this is about Android right now.

        The first are people who hate Apple, they buy a phone not so much because they love Android, but because it *isn’t Apple*. These people are similar to a segment of people who bought Macs a decade or so ago. They didn’t necessarily buy a Mac because they loved Apple, but because they hated Microsoft. This group isn’t loyal to Android. They are actually pretty likely to also hate their Android phone and buy a Windows phone next time or a Blackberry or anything else.

        The second group are people like you. I will freely admit and tell people looking for a phone that if you want a phone that is complex, but infinitely customizable then buy an Android phone not an iPhone. If you are someone who likes “playing” with your phone and not just using it. Then get an Android phone. One of the biggest differences between iOS and Android is that the user can teach/setup their Android phone to work the way that they want, while iOS teaches/trains the user to use the phone the way that it is setup. I personally don’t like playing with my phone. I would rather have the simplicity, but I am not everybody.

        The fourth group, the largest group according to research and surveys and statistics, are people who buy and Android phone because it is cheap. They aren’t loyal to Android and they quite frankly could generally care less about a “smartphone”. These are the masses of people who owned a feature phone before and even after they buy the “free” smartphone (pretty much an Android phone) at their upgrade cycle still pretty much use their smartphone like a feature phone. To these people the OS isn’t even a consideration in their purchase. Heck, they probably couldn’t even tell you what type of phone they bought, “It’s an AT&T phone.”, because they don’t care. This also means that they will also be just as likely to buy an older iPhone or a Windows phone or any other free or cheap phone that the salesperson decides to push.

        So, you are correct, and they are correct. Some people buy Android phones because of its features and what it can do. And these people are the ones who will buy the Android phones that are the same price as the iPhones. But, a larger portion of people buy Android phones because they are cheap, and could care less about the OS on the phone.

        I am not so sure how many people though buy an Android phone instead of an iPhone purely because of price. I am sure that there are some, mostly people who buy used, but Apple offers “free” phones with a contract.

    • Abraham Song - 10 years ago

      Love when people say… “Google Crap,” because the first thought that crosses my mind:

      So. you don’t use Google for your searches? Riiiight.

      • Yes, I do and I want to drop use of every single Google thing there is because they are lying pricks that spy on you and sell your data to everyone they want to.

      • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

        I use Duck Duck Go, and you should too.

      • Chetttos (@jorgbanos) - 10 years ago

        Sorry I’m using DuckDuckGo right now, and using every Google service the less I can because at first I thought it was great, but once I realized it was spying and selling information at big scale I understood why Android is opened for the masses.

      • Arnold Ziffel - 10 years ago

        I haven’t used Guugle for anything in the past two years, using Apple Maps, DuckDuckGo, etc., instead. It’s a good feeling knowing I don’t contribute anything to “Don’t Be Evil”.

      • Abraham Song - 10 years ago

        Gotta love to tin-foil hatters. Amazing. Don’t you want to use the best tool for the job?

        I do. Love Apple, but they aren’t the best for everything – anyone that believes in the contrary seriously needs to get their heads checked.

        Oh, and Google Maps is still far better than Apple Maps. Period.

      • iSRS - 10 years ago

        Moved on to Bing. Actually seems to suit me just fine. The Rewards help (As I have been perpetually earning enough to keep my Hulu Plus subscription free)

        I gave up my gmail in favor of an @me email

        Maps? Apple Maps is 95% there for me. Nothing is ever 100%

        I do have a Chromebook that we got my 8 year old daughter for christmas. One thing I find painful? Can’t upload any of her music to the “free” Google Play Music storage unless I give them a credit card, which I will not do. I went searching, even googling, how do get around that, and the closest answer I got was “you can’t, but don’t worry. Every major online music store requires a credit card, so I shouldn’t be concerned/surprised.”

        While that may be technically true? Windows and OS X do not require me to enter a credit card to store my personally owned/legally ripped, music in the app the provide.

        What I shouldn’t be surprised about is Google requiring a credit card to do what I am trying to do. It helps them get that Apple talking point, much like when they began requiring every Google service to be tied to Google + so they could say how much they are growing that service.

        Yet if Apple tried to tell you you had to enter a credit card to play your own music, there would be #ell to pay on the web. Google, it seems, (likely because no one is paying attention, or, more accurately, really using the music services) can get away with it.

      • Abraham Song - 10 years ago

        Here’s the additional funny thing… This website is funded by Google Ads. You’re being tracked by coming to this site alone. OH NOES!

        (Waiting for someone to comment: well I use Ad Block! Hurmph!)

        Response: Well… guess you don’t want this site to survive? Advertising is how this site continues to function ya know.

      • Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

        Your self-discussion is fascinating.
        And yes, I use adblock.

      • degraevesofie - 10 years ago

        “So. you don’t use Google for your searches? Riiiight.”

        Actually, I don’t. I tried Duck Duck Go, for a while, and it was okay, but not wonderful. These days, I use Bing, and that works great.

        My sense is that people are getting a little more aware of the ethical problems of Google. It’s still by far the most popular search engine, but I was surprised to hear a few acquaintances bring it up (even though it’s not their area of expertise in the least).

      • Mike Knopp (@mknopp) - 10 years ago

        I use Google products as little as possible. There are still times that I am forced to use a Google product, because it is the best available. But, I am using Yahoo for general searches. I use Bing or Apple Maps for mapping (Except when I am looking up a city overseas that I am not exactly sure which country it is in. For some reason Google Maps is far superior in pointing me to the correct city.) I use Bing Translate. I will use Bing and Yahoo for image search, but there are times that I have to kick back to Google for oddball searches, although that is getting less and less often. I shutdown every Google service account that I had and told it to forget everything. The only exception is Gmail, which I had linked to a ton of online sites. Now, I pretty much just use it as my dumping email. Any time I am forced to sign up to get something online I use my Gmail account and only check it about once a week. I will also use YouTube from time to time, but I avoid it as much as necessary and I never login to it when I do use it.

        Schmidt once said that they wouldn’t do bad things because if they did people would stop using their services. Well, I am seeing more and more people who are trying their hardest to stop using their services because they don’t like what Google has become. And for Google’s sake they had better hope that they never get to the point where there isn’t a viable alternative, because that is the day they will really learn what it is like to be the next Microsoft. Monopoly abuse lawsuits and all.

      • Anthony Perez - 10 years ago

        This comment is so logically flawed. Just because I like Google services doesn’t mean I like Google software. In the same way, just because I love Apple hardware, doesn’t mean I use it Apple for cloud storage (I use Google for that) or for eBooks (Kindle software user) or for music (use Spotify Premium) or for music discovery (Pandora) or even for bloody podcasts (Downcast).

        But, I access all those things using my absolutely favorite device maker – Apple because of its build quality, interconnectedness (iOS8 is actually the wet dream I’ve been waiting for), and simplicity.

      • Abraham Song - 10 years ago

        @Alex (@Metascover)

        So, you admit to stealing from a website you get content from? Nice job.

        Again, to repeat:

        1. 9to5Mac’s advertising is using the Google Display Network.
        2. Google is therefore tracking you already
        3. If you say Yes, you’re not avoiding Google simply by “not using their services.” You’re already using because you are on this site and consuming the content.
        4. If you say No, because you are using ad block, you are depriving this site from the necessary revenue needed to run the site.

        So which is it folks? Hmmm? Sounds like a lot of you are hypocrites.

      • Abraham Song - 10 years ago

        A lot of you folks are saying “well, I use DuckDuckGo” or “well, I use Bing!”

        Sorry, but none of these services hold a candle to Google Search. Period.

        As for Bing, it’s search has improved, it’s still ain’t no Google Search. Also, if you’re concerned with “privacy,” you should be just as concerned with MS / Bing as with Google and it’s search.

        Tin foil hatters. Get over yourself.

        Honestly, I’ll make this comment and stand by it: this isn’t about Google and their “privacy issue” Its more about Steve Jobs telling you that “he doesn’t like Google anymore” and YOU following suit.

  3. Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

    LOL!!! What a lying sack of crap. I loved his comment about “provide a consistent layer for developers”, LOL!!!

  4. Tom H (@TomH47) - 10 years ago

    Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where Android got the idea for its system – much like Windows (before version 8) got their idea from. Need I say more?

    • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 10 years ago

      Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where iOS got the idea for notification centre, widgets, customisable keyboards, ect

      • iSRS - 10 years ago

        you’re right. I know exactly where Apple/iOS got the widgets from: OS X 10.4 released in 2004, I believe. Customizable Keyboard? I believe that, too, predates Android (Optimus keyboard was announced in 1995, though realized int 2007)

        The implementation of Notifications, I will give you, though it was not an entirely new idea, and not original to Android (simply the nice implementation).

      • Tom H (@TomH47) - 10 years ago

        If two OSes are very similar (look feel – only) and one precedes the other what logical conclusion can you come to? For me it is easy. And for me, actually there is no comparison – especially in the “LOOK” department. I know I’m biased, how could I not. But I’ve seen the “others” and just don’t see the quality “LOOK” – but I will admit I have not tried Android; nor do I have any desire to. I’m happy with iOS, all by itself. Let alone its interaction with the OS X as far as backups, connectivity, etc. Yeah, there may be some ditties that I possibly would like to see there that isn’t. But, an old friend told me once a wise saying – and this applies to all platforms of our electronic world – “If it does what you want then it is the best device for you.” Do I wish I could have the latest, greatest, newest release of all of my iOS, OS X, Mac, Apple devices, yes. Is that reasonable, no. Because you can NEVER have the latest – greatest device; there is always another new one either on the drawing board or in the store as you unwrap your precious new “toy.”

        I have a three+ year old MacBook Pro (i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 SSD, 750 SSD-Hybrid) and it is doing what I need it to do. Would I like to have a new one, yes. But then would come all the “additions” one makes (case, memory, etc.) – to what end? A little faster, etc., yes, but my MBPro is doing just fine. And a three year old computer is OLD in computer years. My iPhone is a 4S, almost two designs old, but still does what I want it to, well I might add, and if I bought a 5 or 5S (or the new one around the corner, I’d (again) have to buy the case (I have a Mophie battery type case), etc., etc. So, maybe my wife will surprise me on my upcoming birthday, but do I NEED IT?? Not really, apps work, phone works, etc….

        ::::::stepping off soap box::::::

      • iJonni - 10 years ago

        See the issue for me is not who did it first, but who did it right. Yes android has had customizable keyboards, but at the expense of the user. All your keystrokes are logged and sent to swype and others. iOS 8 prevents this unless te user opts in. This is called security. Something android seems to have but does not put at the forefront vs pleasing users. Apple would rather shun users and release it the proper and secure way vs just releasing to be first. Widgets? Same. Extensions/app interactivity? Same deal. Apple waited until they could find a secure way to do it, rather than just letting apps talk to each other.

      • charilaosmulder - 10 years ago

        The iPhone was the first phone or pocket device in general ever to have a context aware, adapting, multi-page keyboard. Apple first had widgets in 2005 on OSX, shortly after copied by others. And for every feature like notification center you can find, I can sum another 5 where Apple was first and Google copied it.

        Look at the home screen folder implementation of android 4.0 (and the way you put apps in folders without an edit button), much like iOS 4.0. Look at the way cut/copy/paste is implemented in android, no coincidence. Oh, disappearing scroll bars you say? Wonder where they got that idea from. Parsing links and dates in text to make them actionable? Allrighty. Integration of SMS in hangouts? It’s called iMessage before hangouts even existed. Double-tap to zoom in, anyone? Tap to focus? A unified place for discovering and downloading apps called the App Store? Did you just say your phone has a digital compass and a gyro? The list just doesn’t stop.

  5. CreeDiddy (@creemail) - 10 years ago

    Google is digging their own grave. Popularity does not sustain long term profitability as manufacturer’s benefit from the sale of the hardware. Google is “hoping” that people keep clicking ads as a result will never turn into a profitable machine as many people will go on to the next OS or browser or other services.

    Apple has in place, hardware, software, and services. Google only has 2 of the 3 pieces of Apple’s success. A manufacturing partner does not make Google money, but only says they are in support of the Android OS and services. Nothing more and and nothing less.

    • Kadang (@Kadang) - 10 years ago

      And let’s see what happens with Google’s when Samsung finally get’s a proper Tizen structure up and running…

      or when MS get’s their WinPhone on the right track..

      • rettun1 - 10 years ago

        The most recent windows phone update brought a lot of great stuff to the platform. The only thing left to do is try to undo that tamed first impression, and a with how they are rolling out the new surface 12 it seems like they are starting to get good at that as well

    • jrox16 - 10 years ago

      Well I wouldn’t say Google is digging any graves. If Samsung drops Android ever, or if Android usage around the world drops, it won’t affect Google a huge amount. It’ll hurt, but won’t kill Google. As we have all pointed out many times, even right here today, Google doesn’t make much money, hardly any, directly off Android. Android is simply a way for Google to spread more Google around, but it can still survive without that since most of the world is already using Google Search and many Google services like maps and Gmail. This is how Google makes it’s money. Even many iOS users are using Google services.

  6. SMIDG3T - 10 years ago

    But [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/2VDRBVH.png[/IMG]

  7. Bob Smogango - 10 years ago

    Here’s something to ponder. I don’t think Android is as big as they portray. I’m not disagreeing that Android isn’t more popular, but here’s my point.

    Apple PURPOSELY doesn’t go after the $400 or less “unlocked” market. Why? It’s not profitable and it’s almost impossible to make something that’s capable of running the latest OS for that price point and still make a decent profit. Apple does NOT offer ANY product on their price list that doesn’t run the most recent OS. PERIOD. To still sell hardware that won’t run the latest OS is just a scummy way of “buying” market share by selling exceedingly cheap hardware that’s obsolete the day the customer buys the product.

    I believe that there is a certain amount of double reporting for Android. How is that?

    Well, when Samsung, ASUS, LG, and other OEM mfg report their numbers, they include sales of ALL products they made, then you look at the companies like Google that buy from these larger OEM mfg and then slap their name on it, and then THEY report their sales. So, let’s take an example. Let’s say that Samsung sells 100 Million smartphones, but 95 Million had the Samsung name on them, but 5 Million had Google’s name on it, and then Google reports they sold 5 Million phones, so even though only 100 Million smartphones got sold from Samsung, an additional 5 Million gets reported by Google, but Samsung already reported their numbers. So, if we look at ALL of the companies that slap their name on someone else’s product, those numbers shouldn’t be counted. How many of the Android smartphones were double reported? 5%, 10%, 20%? I think there is some number of Android phones that have been double reported due to this phenomenon and that the REAL numbers are far less.

    There are companies that are OEM mfg and then their are some companies which are OEM customers. These market research companies need to do a better job of reporting only what’s REALLY selling rather than adding everyone’s numbers up.

    • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 10 years ago

      Doesn’t motorola still make money off of their Moto E, G and X, which all run the latest version of android and from reviews perform well?

      • iSRS - 10 years ago

        Yes, they likely do. But that is one example. There is the exception to every rule.

        However, the fact and point remain. Apple isn’t losing the sub $400 market. They aren’t even playing. Where they are playing (the greater than $400 market), they are winning.

    • jrox16 - 10 years ago

      I think starting about a year ago or so, Google’s reporting of new Android users started to be filtered to only include those devices which accessed the Play Store. So supposedly it’s only new activations + access to Play Store.

      In the end, who cares…. we can all buy what we like. I think Android is very cool, but I use iOS because there’s always some trade off with an Android device which I can’t swallow, and an iPhone is, in my opinion, the most balanced smartphone experience. Plus Google creeps me out, I’m old fashioned I guess and still want to live a somewhat private life, if that’s even possible anymore.

  8. Yes (@AMillah) - 10 years ago

    Gotta love the straw man argument “well it’s more popular, that’s why 99% of malware is on it.”

    I’m pretty sure an install base of 800 million users who have a higher average income and spend a lot more money on the platform is a pretty attractive target for hackers. iOS isn’t a “toxic hellstew” of malware not for lack of value to thieves/hackers, but because iOS was ACTUALLY architected with security in mind, rather than just talking about it. iPhone has always been a high-value target in the hacker community, if anything just for notoriety. Which is why you see stories like Touch ID getting spoofed becoming mainstream news.

    So no, your operating system isn’t an unsecure mess because you have a larger install base. Its because you made poor design decisions when making Android “open.” Because….freedom, y’know?

  9. Hardy Thomas - 10 years ago

    Sundar Pichai!!!! buddy you are out to lunch.. its not the MOST popular OS.. its the most cheapest OS.. and u know what does it mean? its like releasing an underwear thats available on the streets while the best remains with only the BEST… and hahahh since its cheap its imitations are many… many cheap watches in the market which are first and second make get more features and craploads than the original… Does that mean its better than the original??? NEVER!!! it means that its a mere street product… and PUHLEESS… dun tell me about secure and from ground up and other crapload of comments… Do you even know what you speak of?? even as you speak you yourself know (deep inside you) of the fear that any moment your phone will conk off and wipe all its data.. after all its inside a box and once the box collapses it takes all the content inside it… Moreover you speak of a powerful developer experience?? you couldn’t even till date have your own Android Studio for interface design up and running. you also have one of that most daunting and mother load of crap IDE Eclipse…
    Please get your facts up

  10. david0296 - 10 years ago

    I didn’t hear him address Android OS fragmentation. Less than 2% are running the latest OS, KitKat. Around 60% are running some form of Jelly Bean; while the rest are using 4.0, 3.2 or 2.3. So basically app creators are already losing 40% of Android users when they write software for Jelly Bean (4.1) or higher; and those older devices will never be able to upgrade to the newer OS. My HTC One X isn’t even 2 years old, and it will never run anything higher than 4.2.

    • Nick Graef (@ngraef) - 10 years ago

      Where are you getting these numbers? Google reports 13.6% globlly on KitKat at the beginning of June (http://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html), and Mixpanel puts it above 26% (https://mixpanel.com/trends/#report/android_kitkat).

      Also, the Apple community needs to get over this “fragmentation” BS. Google Play Services gives developers access to the same APIs on all devices running 2.3+ (99.2%), so the Android version becomes a lot less important.

      • Yes (@AMillah) - 10 years ago

        Except when it comes to security patches, new end user features, or non-Google blessed devices. Doh! Turns out there’s a lot more to a platform than Development APIs

      • South Jersey Droid - 10 years ago

        They’re just a bunch of sore losers who have to make up lies to make themselves feel better about technology that’s from 2010. Could you see Android folks excited about Twitter and Facebook Integration? Laughable…

      • jrox16 - 10 years ago

        Fragmentation is important in this context because if you have a phone which cannot get any updates due to it being skinned, or on a carrier that just doesn’t want to bother with dealing with updates, you can’t get security fixes…. right? Right??
        So when you have 25% of Android users around the globe still running Gingerbread, a THREE year old version, you have to realize how important that is. All those millions of people are running without security updates and are prime targets for malware. And 18% are still on Ice Cream Sandwich and will never get another update. Another group of millions of phones ripe for malware. How can you act like this sort of fragmentation isn’t an issue, in this context of malware? Is it Google’s fault, maybe not. You can blame the handset manufacturers and the damn carriers, but that doesn’t change the fact that this fragmentation in the user base exists, is real, and is likely the number one reason for Android malware.

        The reason this isn’t an issue on iOS, is because even the iPhone 4, which is 4 years old, received for better or worse, iOS 7 and security updates and patches which came with that. How many iPhones are out there in use which are older than iPhone 4? And Apple can still patch important security updates to those sub iPhone 4 phones even as separate patches even if they can’t update to iOS 7 due to hardware limitations. That’s the benefit of a closed system where you have a direct relationship to the manufacturer of both software and hardware. There are pros and cons to each platform.

      • jrox16 - 10 years ago

        Reply to South Jersey Droid…. We aren’t sore losers. We accept that Apple is behind in many features when compared to Android. There’s no denying that. In fact, I look forward to Google I/O tomorrow so I can see what new features iOS 9 is going to have! LOL
        But we choose iPhone and iOS because we feel that security, immediate updates for up to 3 years of device ownership, direct support from the manufacturer of both the hardware and software (no pointing fingers back and forth), the quality of apps, the overall quality of the device, etc.. etc.. over having a lot of fun features right away. We have decided that we can wait for those or live without them for the other benefits. In the end, all these phones do exactly the same thing. Phone, internet, email, apps, messages, maps, etc.. Same stuff, different coats of paint. Twitter integration missing for some time? Big deal, I have to use an app in a very slightly different way, moving my thumb an extra click or two. Not a big deal for us, sorry.
        Both platforms exist and both are great. Each one catches up to the other in different ways. Android will have to catch up to iOS in 64-bit computing. Android just recently caught up to iOS in lag free smoothness, they had to create a whole project for it called Butter, remember? iOS and the iPhone were smooth as butter day one. Android had to catch up with a “find my phone” feature, just recently, something iOS had for years. But iOS is catching up to Android in integrating 3rd party apps, in widgets, in maps, in flexibility and customization, in OTA updates, etc. You seeing a pattern here?

        They are soon going to be nearly the same, they just started at opposite ends. Apple started with making sure core features were solid, secure, and smooth. Android started with features, expand-ability and customization-ability. Soon they will look so similar, it won’t really matter.

        (Freedom/flexibility) Android ———> The Perfect OS <———iOS (reliability/security)

      • ikir - 10 years ago

        “Where are you getting these numbers? Google reports 13.6% globlly on KitKat at the beginning of June”
        Even if this is the right number is ridiculous. even 20% would be a proof the hardware is cheap, most users are ignorant ecc
        On internet forums Android user are very vocalist, but in reality most Android users are grandmothers, people who don’t know anything about smartphones ecc. I work in a shop, i see it every day.

  11. Bob Smogango - 10 years ago

    “History shows typically that malware is also targeted at the more popular operating system” I think it’s more of a “malware is targeted at what is the EASIEST to hack”.

    If you look at the numbers, one of the other OSs that got hacked more than iOS was Symbian, which has almost no market share, yet that got hacked certainly a LOT more than iOS and not as much as Android. So I think it’s a combination of both the more popular, but more importantly, the one that can more easily be hacked.

    There are enough Apple Haters that would like nothing more than to hack iOS, but the thing is, where are they? Oops, you didn’t think about that, now did you?

    Face it Sundar, you are an IDIOT doing what is called DAMAGE CONTROL. I’m sure if you repeated your stupid comments enough times, you’ll eventually believe them. That’s what brainwashing does.

  12. Chris Bailey (@bitmender) - 10 years ago

    Sundar confuses the word “popular” (liked, admired, enjoyed) with the word “populous” (having a large population). Just because there’s more of it doesn’t mean people preferred it. The Mercedes may be more popular, but there are more Toyotas on the road (nothing against Toyota; it’s just a brand that sold more units than Mercedes did last year). Quantity does not equal quality. So there’s that. Plus I’d note that within the same paragraph, he compares Apple’s product to Mercedes, and Android to Windows. This does not shine a favorable light on Android.

  13. Joe Cheng - 10 years ago

    I actually think Sundar’s analogy is pretty accurate. Apple isn’t in the market to sell you a $100 phone and they probably never will be. Notice Sundar sidestepped the Android conversion issue by saying people are adopting Android faster than any other OS. That’s because those who are adopting Android are from the emerging markets looking for the cheapest phone they can get and its probably an Android.

    If nothing else, Android may evolve into the gateway device for a tech novice, emerging market buyer to get a smartphone and then switch to the better experience of iOS. Specs wise of course the high end Android devices are comparable but Google keeps touting Android’s marketshare and the vast majority of that marketshare isn’t coming from their top end devices.

    • South Jersey Droid - 10 years ago

      Then why is Apple trying to get into these emerging markets and failing? Apple is trying to get a piece of that pie, but they can’t because they are so out of touch with reality. Android is more powerful, just as safe, cost effective, and reliable.

      • jrox16 - 10 years ago

        Because Apple doesn’t know how to do cheap phones. It’s not in their culture. Google doesn’t make phones, so Google doesn’t have to care, Android is free. We really shouldn’t be comparing Apple to Google when it comes to markets, because that’s where hardware matters, again, because Android and, in a way, iOS, are free essentially. Android is safe now, but about 40% of the world is running a 2-3 year old version of it. So those hundreds of millions of users are great targets for malware since they haven’t received any security updates or any updates at all. That’s how statistically, Android is a huge malware threat, due to the fragmentation. Sure, KitKat is secure and safe, and that’s great for everyone on it. But if you want to use all Android activation numbers as a weapon in these arguments, that Android is 80% of the world and iOS is only 15% or whatever, you have to include the fact that a big chunk of your claim is far behind and very unsecure. You guys like to have it both ways and that’s not a fair debate, very disengenous. You like to ignore the millions who aren’t up to date by saying “oh that’s not Google’s fault, that’s the carrier’s fault or handset maker’s fault (which is fine), but then turn around and use all of those same number to bash iPhone fans. If you want to claim Android is perfectly safe and not a malware threat and fragmentation is not an issue, then I’m sorry but you can only count the number of Jelly Bean and Kitkat installs against total number of iOS installs running iOS7+ (which is like over 80%). Otherwise, you have to accept that Android, as a whole, as your 80% global dominating OS, is NOT safe because 40% of it is completely unsafe due to being extremely out of date.

      • Rania Amine - 10 years ago

        Yeah, Apple is the most successful company on the planet, has the most popular phone in the world, the most popular tablet in the world, the most popular mobile appstore in the world, the best customer satisfaction numbers in the industry, makes the most profits, the most revenues, has the most successful retail stores in the world by sq.ft, makes developers the most $$ of any platform on the planet, etc- all because they are “so out of touch with reality”, right?

        Maybe step out of your mom’s basement once in a while, spend some time away from all your Apple-bashing sites, and you’ll realize that you’re the one utterly out of touch. The facts dont bear your statement.

    • Pete (@dypeterc) - 10 years ago

      Shit attracts the flies

  14. Nishant jain (@nish9111) - 10 years ago

    But do you relies Apple with there iOS is the only operating system out there which is directly competing with Android with their own hardware and software.

  15. Of course Android is more popular. It’s just like GM making crappy cars for the hoi polloi that are more popular than Lexus and BMW. If price was no object, what car would you rather have though?

    I’ll leave it at this. Every person I know that is well off and doesn’t worry about money buys Apple across the board. Most of them were Windows switchers and never looked back. I’m a physician and you can’t find a physician that uses an Android phone.

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      Physicians are the last people who should give smartphone advise. Heck, few are competent to give medical advice.

      • Rania Amine - 10 years ago

        “Heck, few are competent to give medical advice.”

        One of the stupidest comments I’ve ever read. Well done.

      • Xavier Poirot (@dalaen) - 10 years ago

        You just lost all credibility here, troll.

  16. ameadows252 - 10 years ago

    The comments on here… yikes.
    Cook calls android a toxic hell stew, Pichai responds politely but with a tinge of snark, and then I scroll down to see these disproportionately intense, and kind of aggressive comments.
    Guys, Apple and Google both make great stuff. I own an iPhone, and a Macbook (both of which I love), but I also love my Nexus 7. As a daily user of both, I can say that Android and iOS are both great platforms. They’re both better at certain things and worse at certain things than the other.
    Come off it.
    There’s no need to fanboy rage over a pretty level-headed response from a competing company’s CEO.

  17. moofer1972 - 10 years ago

    Oh please. It’s an open sewer.

  18. kevicosuave - 10 years ago

    To be clear, Tim Cook didn’t call Android a “toxic hellstew”. He quoted a 3rd party editorial site, ZDNet, specifically author Adrian Kingsley-Hughes in the article titled, “Android fragmentation turning devices into a toxic hellstew of vulnerabilities”.

    In terms of objectiveness, Kingsley-Hughes didn’t write that as an Apple fanboy, in fact, the article starts off with, “I’m a big fan of Android, not only because I use the platform, but also because I feel that competition in the mobile space has been good.”

    The summary of the article is, “With vulnerabilities such as Heartbleed and Pileup likely to go unpatched on tens, if not hundreds of millions of Android devices, the platform is fast becoming a toxic hellstew that should send chills down the spines of IT admins.”

    Full article at:
    http://www.zdnet.com/android-fragmentation-turning-devices-into-a-toxic-hellstew-of-vulnerabilities-7000028342/

  19. Dave Huntley - 10 years ago

    Android from the ground up is designed to be very, very secure… History shows typically that malware is also targeted at the more popular operating system. So you know there is that.

    For years IOS was the popular OS but no malware flood, even Samsung offers a security package for Android as they know it is not so secure… or they wouldn’t offer one would they?

    Pichai I have heard from those who have met him is an arrogant primadonna and I guess this shows here, much of what he says is factually untrue. But arrogant people I care less about and Google’s leadership is stuffed with the self obsessed – right up there with Larry Ellison.

    It doesn’t want me want to buy your product Google it actually revolts me, sure you have money, but look down your nose and I could care less about you. Bad PR letting Pichai out if you ask me.

  20. Marcel Brown - 10 years ago

    History also shows that malware is targeted at the most vulnerable operating system. So you know there is that.

  21. hisdudenessman - 10 years ago

    Android: Shit for shitheads, man.

  22. So much hate in the comments its sad

  23. patstar5 - 10 years ago

    Well I was with ios since 2009. Finally left for samsung galaxy s4 because I got it at very good price. Well I hate Samsung and the touchwiz crap they put on the phone but I love android. Be getting a phone with stock android soon. For anyone who saids they hate google ask yourself this: 1.Do you use google to search? 2. Do you use youtube? Most people probably use both, and I think google actually makes more money off of ios than android. So thank you apple for helping google! Also many more google services are available for ios. That made it easy to jump ship, I just miss itunes…

    • South Jersey Droid - 10 years ago

      ^^^ This

      Well aside from the iTunes part. :-)

    • charilaosmulder - 10 years ago

      So the logic is that IF we use Google Search AND/OR Youtube (and we happen to like these services), THEN it must be impossible for us to hate other services by Google. Your theory is deeply flawed.

  24. patstar5 - 10 years ago

    Google’s Project Ara will revolutionize the smartphone market and have Samsung and Apple at there needs. Samsung and Apple will become the new Blackberry and Nokia.

    • Right, just like all of the other modular phone projects brought every other mfg to their knees.

    • rettun1 - 10 years ago

      Take a look at the PC market. Only a handful of users build their system from the ground up. I’d say maybe 1 in 10 people do. So I doubt Ara will take off with any tremendous speed.

      Not everybody likes to customize the hell out of everything. Choices are good, but too many can be overwhelming

    • jrox16 - 10 years ago

      Wow… Project Ara is a joke. People are not going to buy little smartphone components to build bulky phones with all the same components as a slim sleek device. This is not economically feasible, it’s never going to work out. You’ll see.

    • Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

      I think you smoked a little too much of whatever it was you smoked for lunch with your coffee today, as that comment made you look like a complete idiot. NO ONE wants to go out putting together their next phone like a kid’s Lego toy…

  25. jrox16 - 10 years ago

    This article should really point out the fact that Tim Cook didn’t call Android a “toxic hell stew”, that he was actually quoting an article about IT in ZDnet in which the author said that. Sundar can have a beef with ZDNet.

  26. moofer1972 - 10 years ago

    It’s not a hellstew… it’s an open sewer.

  27. Bradlyn Doma (@BDoma) - 10 years ago

    So even he thinks iPhones are Mercedes? If you want a good phone get an iPhone as per the head of Android.

  28. rafalb177 - 10 years ago

    Cheap junk will always be more popular simply because more people can afford it. That by no means means that it’s good.

    • Clint (@ClintAustin26) - 10 years ago

      Nor does it mean it’s even “popular.” The vast majority of Android “users” only have Android because it’s the new “feature phone” and most of them don’t even use the “features.” I’d be curious what percentage of Android phones in the wild are actually free on contract garbage phones. I bet it’s pretty high.

      • Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

        One of the local carriers here in Canada (Telus) is offering both the Galaxy S4 and the Mini version for zero dollars on two year terms, so there’s your proof why these things are popping up in the wild. They’re being given away for free, which just goes with the race to the bottom mentality of Android and most of its user base.

  29. Pete (@dypeterc) - 10 years ago

    “History shows typically that malware is also targeted at the more popular operating system”

    This is such flawed logic… Malware follows insecure platforms.

  30. herb02135go - 10 years ago

    Face it: Apple is adding Samsung features to try to become popular.

    I used an iPhone for four years before switching to Samsung/Android and I’m very happy that I did.

    I doubt many of the Apple fanboys have ever used anothe OS. The simply wet themselves over shiny rounded corners.

    Unless you’ve used both personally, STFU

    • Clint (@ClintAustin26) - 10 years ago

      Tried the HTC One last year. I wanted to see how far Android had come on one of the flagship phones. Great build quality and not a bad phone. Just hated Android. I can’t believe they still haven’t got (or hadn’t as of last year) visual voicemail baked into the phone app. That was Jelly Bean. I don’t know if it’s changed in Kit Kat. That along with the difficulty to sync content was maddening.

      • herb02135go - 10 years ago

        The new Kies is very good.

      • Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

        herb, just STFU already. You just called one of the WORST media management programs in existence quite good. You on the payroll in South Korea?

    • Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

      How about you STFU you damned Samsung troll? I just spent a few minutes on the Google Play Store looking for a app for Outlook web access, and I was thoroughly disgusted at how many fake, knockoff, malware riddled apps I was presented with instead of the one I was actually looking for.

      If you truly, honestly prefer the toxic hell hole that is Android, then you have zero taste, and you can leave now *points to the door*.

  31. fredhstein - 10 years ago

    Shallow.
    1) Take the issue with “Toxic Hell-Stew” to Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, who made the statement AND a compelling case. Refute Adrian’s argument rather than glib counter jab – that misses the point – mainly that Android phones DO NOT get their SW updated, so security bugs REMAIN. That is bad.
    2) $100,000 Mercedes? Wrong metaphor. Old metaphor. iPhone is a value product, not premium, but also not a comprised product to reach the bottom of the market. And it is precisely the bottom of the market where Android gets its market share advantage.

  32. “…it’s just a more popular operating system”. The fact that Android is free might have something to do with its popularity.

    And for whatever reason everyone seems to be glossing over the fact that the comment wasn’t Tim Cook’s but rather a journalist from ZDNet. Cook was simply the messenger. If Google wants to be upset with someone it’s the guy from ZDNet.

  33. Had to laugh at just how weak that response was. More popular? In the same way the Hyundai Accent is more popular than any Ferrari. There are certainly more Accents on the street. But everyone would rather have the Ferrari if they could afford it. Really the funniest remark was in regard to security. All I can say is, well, there’s his version of reality. Then there’s the version every security guru in the world has in regard to Android. Which are very different from one another.

    • standardpull - 10 years ago

      Yes, Googles free OS for handset manufacturers is free. So manufacturers really like it.

      In the mean time, it’s a huge Privacy Sieve. Google says customers want it that way. Unlikely. Google wants it that way so they can sell sell sell diapers and growth hormones or whatever they’re hawking.

  34. cincinnatils1 - 10 years ago

    I’m confused. Companies are either for-profit, or they are non-profit. Apple and Google are both for-profit companies. Apple is worth substantially more than Google, and therefore is the “winning” company. The number of users Google has, or it’s “popularity” means nothing.

    Now if Google and Apple were both non-profit, then you could say that Google has a larger impact, due to the number of customers it serves, and is therefore the more successful company. But this is not the case.

    Back in the day, Microsoft was beating Apple because it was more profitable and was worth more, not because it had more users.

    Actually, since for-profit companies exist to, you know, make money, and the more, the better, Apple currently fluctuates between being the most successful and second most successful company in the world. And I believe Apple still holds the record as the most valuable company of all time, set about 2 years ago.

  35. fabrica64 - 10 years ago

    This guy talking about “Android designed to be very secure” is a joke… Android “permission” handling is not a permission system but a notification of what access you have to give to an app to install it. You may have a very secure foundation but then, if you need to give any kind of access just to install an app, you end up bypassing “core security”

  36. Alexander Shapiro - 10 years ago

    Android is the most popular operating system in the world. And McDonalds is the most popular food the world.

  37. b9bot - 10 years ago

    Yea, more popular toxic hell stew! It’s totally unsafe and as Tim pointed out hardly any of them are up to date. That’s why many people refer to them as fragmoids.

  38. evilsteven - 10 years ago

    Unfortunately most popular and most loved are two different things .also it’s more like history has shown that open platforms are targeted by malware

  39. Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

    My god, what a total idiot this guy is…

    I just went onto the Google Play store to search for the Microsoft OWA App for Android, which is apparently in beta months behind iOS, and not only are the apps generally lower rated on Android, but in the search results, I was presented with several clone or instructional apps, which required insane permissions which most people like skip over, and then I was presented with a virtual plethora of wallpaper apps and iOS game knockoffs, including one called Deadlings, using a slightly modified version of the Plants vs Zombies icon from iOS.

    Android really is a toxic hell stew, and just spending the last 5 minutes browsing their store made me want to throw up…

  40. Fake Sound (@Secrxt) - 10 years ago

    Yes, Sundar, your (free), shitty OS is more popular.

    Whoop-dee-fucking-doo.

    If I gave out shitty but free blowjobs I’d be pretty popular as well.

  41. winstuff - 10 years ago

    Only Apple delivers great UX. And Google’s head of Android agrees.
    Google does not deliver the whole hardware-software-services stack. It can’t give two figs what garbage users experience.
    And the added payoff? Google gets to blame someone else somewhere “down the stack” for UX-wrecking hardware, software, and services.
    Listen to Pichai whine about how everybody else makes it so tough on Google. “If only we didn’t have to serve the poor unwashed of the world,” says Mr. Google.
    Cue Stephen Colbert. This Pichai piece has to be a joke.
    Pure hogwash: Google puts Android on junk hardware cus’
    a. it quit designing and deploying great hardware. Just too too hard!
    b. it gets paid for putting ads on junk hardware.
    Result? Most of a billion Android users get junk UX …that’s junk hardware running antique Android OS versions. And then Pichai shamelessly claims that Google is “serving” them. More like “serving them up.”
    Where Google exploits, Apple empowers. Only Apple refuses the easy path. Apple 2.0 has never and never will let others mess up or deliver its UX package [hardware, software, services].
    Only Apple delivers great UX. Today the head of Android agreed.

  42. Samuel A. Maffei - 10 years ago

    Is he kidding? Developing for Android is onerous at best. The tools (whether it be Eclipse or Android Studio) are primitive. Being an iOS programmer who has to dabble in Android when the need arises, I can attest that Xcode and Interface builder are worlds ahead. Christ, Android programmers are still editing user interfaces via XML files in 2014!

  43. scumbolt2014 - 10 years ago

    More popular for malware

  44. Lee Palisoc (@leepalisoc) - 10 years ago

    Of course, it’s more popular ’cause it has different phone makers. But they’re not talking about popularity here, dumbass.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.