By Google CEO Eric Schmidt was recently captured in a picture by BusinessInsider, showing him using a phone that clearly sports a BlackBerry logo on the back. It seems that the device of choice for the CEO of Android’s owner is a BlackBerry Curve – strange huh?
A lot of other people felt the same, for example Gizmodo ran a story that – while not scathing – certainly questioned Mr. Schmidt without holding anything back. Here s a snippet:
You’re telling me that the CEO can’t get his code monkeys to create some custom Android software that connects to a special server and does everything a BlackBerry can? And it doesn’t seem like a one night stand either—the ratty Google sticker on the back of the phone (presumably a Curve 8900) seems to indicate the thing gets some serious usage.
Could you imagine El Jobso (or Phil Schiller, for that matter), toting around an HTC Touch Pro 2? And I’ll give you one guess what Roger McNamee and Jon Rubinstein are using (three letters…starts with P, ends with E). Tsk, tsk. Do better, Mr. Schmidt.
I agree that an Android Phone should undoubtedly be the phone of choice for the Google’s CEO… but think about it – do you REALLY think he should ONLY have ONE phone? Google provides services for virtually ALL mobile platforms including iPhones and BlackBerries. In fact, sometimes Google launches products and services for competing mobile platforms before Android!
I think it would negligent for Mr. Schmidt NOT to be using and testing other phones both so he can analyze them from a competitive standpoint and so he can assess the strength of Google’s products on the device.
I’m not the CEO of one of the world’s most powerful company’s but I have 3 phones on 3 carriers:
- G1 on T-Mobile
- Pre on Sprint
- Voyager on Verizon
I love my Android the most but I carry my other phones often as well and expect Eric Schmidt might do the same for similar reasons. What do you think… should his BlackBerry sighting inexcusable or a necessary evil?
Fact is, the ceo isn’t a quality tester. He is a business man. The Android can’t do what he needs it to do in order to be productive. However, the company expects us to use their products to be productive. If the CEO can’t run Android, fix it. Fix it. Fix it. Make it a product that a CEO can use to run a billion dollar company. The rest of the world will follow, if it is that good.
pshhhh…who cares?why does he need to have a android anyway
pull up to a chevy dealer or a honda dealer, … think all the big cheifs arnt driving caddys ?
At least it wasn’t an iPhone. THAT would have been a kick in the pants. BlackBerry is understandable, it’s targeted at business users, and as the article quoted mentioned, it’s probably an older phone going by how worn it is.
I don’t buy the BS that he’s just “testing” it, though, that phone in the shot is undoubtedly his main device.
Rob,
Mr. Schmidt is walking a fine line since he is also on the board for Apple so he uses an outside phone manufacturer that doesn’t automatically polarize him from his delicate balance of Apple/Google.
Thats the cop-out I am giving him ;)
PS – I am sure he will upgrade to a Hero & one that doesn’t have “WITH GOOGLE” so he can have the Sense UI and inherent Exchange support that he would have w BB.
,Michael Martin
GoogleAndBlog
maybe black berry and android are hooking up to combine a berroid could be a sign
Maybe he has Android installed on the curve…
Sorry, but my Android doesn’t support connections to my Microsoft Exchange server nor does it connect with WPA2-Enterprise WiFi connections. Two things that I consider essential in my business environment. If I needed both of those things as often as Mr. Schmidt prob does, then I’d prob have a BB as well. So, I can understand why one of his phones is a BB. And I agree with Andrex. I would prob frown upon it if it was an iPhone.
i bet he has an Android phone,iphone,windows mobile phone,perhaps not a pre. He’s free to have any phone he desires. They all use google products don’t they?
Why probaby not a Pre Chunky? I would imagine he would have a Pre as it more then any other phone will do the things a BB will.I myself am waiting for the Touch Pro 2 as I want a big screen and not much of a gooley or apples fanboy.
Why are people expecting a google exec to need exchange? Surely Google calendar and email are going to be used company wide.
Really, have you got nothing better to do than report this non story? Did anyone ask him why he was using the phone? Was he testing the camera functionality as a side by side with the Hero?
If there’s nothing to say, say nothing!
OK…so this might sound silly but, I have seen Android put on a windows mobile phone and of course put on Android phones…whose to say that it isn’t a blackberry shell running Donut?
I would agree with @Jonathan Lozinski. Why can’t Google be running Google Apps for Business internally or even Zimbra for that matter if Google Apps lacks some features they need.
I have migrated several companies from Exchange to Zimbra and all have been so pleased with the result and added functionality that they would never consider Exchange again. I don’t see why Google would still be trapped with Exchange!
tsk tsk not good at all if i was him i would quickly say the phone ain’t mine.
Well one of the issues is that the only US Android device available when this pic was taken was the G1. Now maybe Mr. Schmidt is not a T-Mobile user. Sure he could have an unlocked Android phone but maybe he is a Sprint or Verizon customer in which case there is no Android phone option at this point. My guess is that as CEO, he has multiple phones that he uses regularly.
c’mon it’s a no brainer.
a crackberry can make wifi calls a g-1 can’t, yet.
how about throwing that in the new bagadonuts guys?
why burn cellphone minutes when you can use a wifi network at the office?
Something over looked here is the fact that the man has a Blackberry with a GOOGLE sticker on it, granted its been mentioned in the articles, ive been reading into this for a few days now, i mean seriously WHY does the google CEO have a blackberry with the Google logo on it, what makes this blackberry so special that it gets a logo, i mean aside from googles ceo owning it and all why would he find it necessary to throw that logo on it, i think it could be nothing, or maybe huge
which brings me to my next theory, the android platform is extremely flexible, thats what it was made to be, whose to say its NOT an android phone that was once a blackberry hmmmmmm…..
This is embarrassing, but understandable. The G1’s email support is so atrocious, who the hell would rely on using that device as a business user?
Case in point:
http://alsutton.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/the-android-email-client-on-the-g1-possibly-the-worst-app-on-an-internet-phone-ever/
i would love to see a massive price drop on internet phones coz i like to buy lots of em ~'”
“. I am very thankful to this topic because it really gives useful information ~**