Google has spoken out against rumours that it has recently fallen out with long-time partner Apple, calling the Cupertino company “A valuable partner”.
In recent weeks whispers have emerged that Apple may be about to remove the Google default search status from its iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad and replace them with Microsoft’s Bing.
Meanwhile, a rumoured “Gentlemen’s agreement” between the two companies – whereby Android phones sold in the USA would omit the pinch-to-zoom multitouch present in iPhones to keep Apple happy – appeared to be overturned recently when Google pushed out a multitouch update to its Nexus One.
Google’s Vic Gundotra has today dismissed rumours of a spat between the two companies. Reported by Reuters, Gundotra said “Apple is a very close and valuable partner and we’re very excited about the relationship we have with them today. We have no reason to believe that’s going to change.”
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This jars with what Steve Jobs reportedly said at a recent Apple staff meeting. Jobs supposedly accused Google’s ‘Don’t be evil’ ethos as being “Bulls**t” in front of his assembled employees.
The gossip-fueled soap opera between Google and Apple is likely to continue as they chase after the same mobile market with competing products and services – a situation that contributed to Google CEO Eric Schmidt stepping down from the Apple board last year.
Speaking at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Gundotra also refused to comment on rumours that a business-focused “Nexus Two” was on the way.
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