Android boss envious of Apple, but says open source is best

An interview with Business Week has given all kinds of insight into how Sundar Pichai, Android and Chrome honcho at Google, operates. One of the more interesting angles is how Pichai considers Android and iOS, and more importantly how he feels about Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent comments on stage at WWDC. Calling Android a "toxic hellstew" of vulnerability led Pichai to concede defeat of sorts.

Pichai reserved harsh criticism, but did note Cook had a point. Pichai did, however, note why Cook's criticism was a touch off-base:

It must be liberating [for Apple] to wake up and think about your device, your software—and hey, 'I can even call the chip-set guys and say what the chip should be. 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.

What Pichai didn't say was that Cook was at all wrong. Android's variety naturally leads to issues in various areas, security being one of them. It's also why popular chipset maker Qualcomm has come on so strongly with their Snapdragon series. Though they've varying degrees of prowess, Snapdragon chipsets all have the same basic security layers intact.

The two companies remain in direct competition, too. As Android Wear lines up to butt heads with whatever wearable aspirations Apple has incoming, the disagreement will only see variations. Apple's iOS is proprietary and singular for their efforts, while Android is a wide open field for all to play in.

Source: Business Week