Sundar Pichai discusses Google’s relationship with Apple

Google’s Sundar Pichai discussed the company’s complicated relationship with Apple in an in-depth interview with Forbes recently. The senior vice president of Android, Chrome, and Google Apps discussed such things as the impact that the iPhone 6 had on the high-end smartphone market and the rumors that Apple will be ditching Google as its default search provider. 

Sundar Pichai, 42, has risen through the executive ranks at Google at dizzying speed. In October, CEO Larry Page made Pichai his de-facto No. 2, at least when it comes to product. Pichai’s portfolio includes Chrome, Android, search, ad technology, maps, social,commerce and infrastructure. That’s just about everything Google does outside of YouTube, Google X, Nest, ad sales and a few other projects. Ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week, where Pichai will give a keynote, he granted an exclusive interview with Forbes, his first since he became Google’s product czar. In the conversation, Pichai laid out his vision for Google products and touched on everything from search to Android, Google+, Apple, China and Google Wallet. Below is an edited transcript.