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Eric Schmidt says he uses an iPhone, but claims to prefer Samsung's Galaxy

Via Osen.

Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt has owned up to the worst-kept secret in Silicon Valley: that the leader of the Android mothership leans on an arch rival for his day-to-day communications.

Schmidt carries both an iPhone 6s and a Samsung Galaxy S7, he told CNBC during an event in Amsterdam. Asked which one he prefers, Schmidt gave the nod to Samsung.

"Samsung S7 is better. It has a better battery. And those of you who are iPhone users (know) I'm right," Schmidt is quoted as saying.

Perhaps the most surprising admission is not that Schmidt uses an iPhone — he was spotted snapping photos with an iPhone earlier this year — but that his Android device is made by Samsung, rather than Google.

Google partners with mobile phone makers to produce a line of Nexus devices, which run pure Android and are designed as showcase machines for the mobile platform. Nexus phones are held in mostly high regard, and it would seem a logical choice for Schmidt to carry the latest and greatest from his own firm.

Samsung is perhaps Google's biggest ally, though the South Korean company is widely believed to be unhappy with Google's growing hold on Android. Many industry watchers believe this has already caused fractures in the relationship and may lead to a split down the road.