eric_schmidt_blueEric Schmidt called Android a more secure mobile operating environment than the iPhone today during a 45-minute question-and-answer session at the Gartner Symposium / ITxpo, reports ZDNet. The answer came when Schmidt was prompted by a Gartner analyst:

Gartner analyst David Willis, who is chief of research for mobility and communications and who runs Gartner's Senior Research Board, said to Schmidt: "If you polled many people in this audience they would say Google Android is not their principal platform [...] When you say Android, people say, wait a minute, Android is not secure."

Schmidt immediately responded, saying "Not secure? It's more secure than the iPhone", which reportedly prompted laughter from the audience. He then noted that Android had over a billion users, is a platform that will be around for a long time and how that means the platform has gone through rigorous real-world security testing.

At the end of the session Schmidt once again referred to Android as secure, causing the audience to laugh. He then paused and told the audience they'd be happier using services like Android, Chrome and Gmail, prompting more laughter.

Back in March, Apple SVP Phil Schiller tweeted out a "Mobile Threat Report" by F-Secure which showed that Android accounted for 79 percent of the 301 mobile threats in 2012, while iOS only accounted for 0.7 percent of mobile threats.

Security is a major point of interest for enterprise users and as iOS is looked upon as the more secure mobile platform Apple has seen itself dominate the mobile enterprise space, with one February report claiming iOS represents as much as 77 percent of mobile device activations in the enterprise market.

Top Rated Comments

bmunge Avatar
136 months ago
Apple deniers in full force but as a dev he is right. The only time security becomes an issue with android is with custom roms kernels and radios.

iOS just can't be customized at all. Most stock roms on android are super secure, very similar to iOS.

iOS is designed primarily for the average non Savvy user but that's fine it's a good OS for day to day tasks.

Why do you believe that iOS is designed for non savvy users? Having a device that works great, is consistent, powerful, and polished isn't something the tech savvy are interested in? Okay...
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
akbarali.ch Avatar
136 months ago
Eric Schmidt is in his own Reality Distortion Feild :)
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
evorc Avatar
136 months ago
Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghost187 Avatar
136 months ago
That's Just Bull Schmidt!
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
viperGTS Avatar
136 months ago
Please tell me he's joking.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
locust76 Avatar
136 months ago
Why do you believe that iOS is designed for non savvy users? Having a device that works great, is consistent, powerful, and polished isn't something the tech savvy are interested in? Okay...
Because all a "tech savvy" person wants to do is dick around customizing their phone all day long, obviously!

----------

Also, we truly do need that level of control to be tech savvy and create great things
Didn't you know? "Tech savvy" == customized phones!
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...