10 Reasons Why Apple Broke Up with Google


8. Eric Schmidt Leaves Apple Board

To add to the fuel Eric Schmidt announced in August 2009 that he was resigning from Apple's Board of Directors, a position he held for three years.

"Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recluse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple’s Board,” Steve Jobs said in the statement.

7. The Mobile Ad Showdown

The two eventually became rivals in the mobile advertising space as well. Google in November 2009 acquired mobile ad vendor AdMob, which would help it more effectively develop tools for creating and analyzing new mobile ads formats.

Just two months later in February 2009, Apple announced its own acquisition of mobile advertising firm Quattro Wireless.

Google issued a statement in response to Apple’s acquisition, saying that the move was simply “further proof that the mobile advertising space continues to be competitive.”