Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has authored a guide to help Apple iPhone users make the switch to the Android mobile operating system.
Published on Schmidt's Google+ profile page, the guide talks users through setting up an Android device for the first time. It then details how to go about porting their contacts, messages, photos and Google apps from an Apple iPad or iPhone.
"Like the people who moved from PCs to Macs and never switched back, you will switch from iPhone to Android and never switch back as everything will be in the cloud, backed up, and there are so many choices for you," Schmidt wrote.
He then goes on to have a slight dig at Apple's Safari browser while advising people to use Chrome instead. "It's safer and better in so many ways. And it's free."
It's not uncommon for the two firms to take pots shots against each other, as Apple CEO Tim Cook often injects a few sly digs about Android into the firm's iPhone and iPad launch day presentations.
For example, during Apple's WWDC keynote earlier this year, Cook claimed more than a third of Android users are relying on OS software that's around three years old.
"This isn't just bad for users. This version fragmentation is terrible for developers," Cook said.
"In fact, if you do the maths iOS 6 is the most popular OS and in second place is a version of Android created in 2010."
Schmidt's post, which was published over the weekend, comes at a good time for Android, as figures released earlier this month by market watcher IDC revealed that 81 per cent of the smartphones shipped in Q3 2013 featured Android.
During the same three months, 12.9 per cent of the smartphones shipped during Q3 had iOS running the show.
The timing of Schmidt's post also suggests Google will be doing all it can to encourage sales Android handsets ahead of the all important Christmas sales season.
