The search engine giant's executive chairman told reporters in South Korea that Android entered development before Apple began work on its first iPhone, according to Reuters.
Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs said in his authorised biography that he wanted to "destroy Android" because it is a "stolen product". He also vowed to "go thermonuclear war" on the platform and spend all of the company's resources if necessary.
Schmidt did not wish to respond to Jobs's comments directly, but offered a general perspective on the notion that Android was based on iOS.
"I've decided not to comment on what's been written on a book after his death," Schmidt said. "Steve is a fantastic human being and someone who I miss very dearly.
"As a general comment, I think most people would agree that Google is a great innovator and I would also point out that the Android effort started before the iPhone effort."
Android Inc. was founded by Andy Rubin in 2003. Google acquired the firm two years later and commissioned Rubin to develop an operating system. However, Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007. The first Android-powered handsets did not arrive until the following year.
Schmidt was originally a member of Apple's board of directors, leaving his post in 2009 as competition between the two firms heated up.
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