Schmidt: Google won't favor Motorola over other Android players

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said over the weekend that Google prizes strong competition among Android phone-makers and wouldn't play favorites with Motorola if the search giant's $12.5 billion takeover bid is successful.

Speaking with Bloomberg Television from Nantucket, Mass., Schmidt said Google has no intention of interfering with the Android smartphone market by preferencing Motorola if the merger is successful.

The Justice Department is closely scrutinizing the deal as it has with several of Google's recent acquisitions, including travel search firm ITA Software, which was ultimately approved with some conditions. Google is also under a separate antitrust probe by the Federal Trade Commission.

"We say that the Android ecosystem is the No.1 priority and we won't do anything with Motorola, or anybody else by the way, that will screw up the dynamics of that industry," Schmidt said.

"That we need strong, hard competition among all the Android players. That we won't play favorites in the way that people are concerned about and we will make sure that we reward innovation in the right ways."

Schmidt said the acquisition of Motorola Mobilty was motivated by the desire to have "a hardware partner at Google who knows how to build the next generation of tablets and phones," suggesting the firm intends to use Android to go head-to-head against Apple's ubiquitous iPad.

Schmidt also lamented the inability of U.S. politicians to reach compromises and make investments in the productive parts of society like other nations have. He noted many Asian nations are growing faster despite a less sophisticated education and healthcare systems.

---