Google boss Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple's board of directors, with competition in mobile one of the factors.
His departure was described in an Apple statement as a mutual decision.
"Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple's core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric's effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Schmidt's seat on the Apple board has been the subject of speculation for some time, with Android being adopted by a number of handset makers looking to compete with the iPhone, and the new Chrome OS set to appear on netbooks from next year.
Leaving the board now makes sense on those grounds alone, although the move comes amid controversy over Apple's decision to reject the Google Voice application from its App Store.
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