Phil Schiller tweets link to Android-slamming mobile malware report

Phil Schiller headshot

Phil Schiller, although probably the most active Twitter user of the Apple executive team, doesn’t tweet much. And when he does, it’s usually generic things like “new Flipboard app for iPhone is very nice,” or “way to go Giants!!!”

But the Worldwide Marketing SVP switched things up a bit this morning, tweeting out a very deliberate link to a new mobile malware report by F-Labs that slams Android for its malware issues, telling folks to “be safe out there…”

Here’s the tweet, which has been making the rounds today in the tech world:

Among a number of other things, the report shows the recent growth in mobile threats—particularly on the Android platform. Google’s OS accounted for a staggering 79% of the 301 major mobile threats that surfaced in 2012.

schiller malware report

Apple’s iOS on the other hand, which has been praised for its platform security in the past, only accounted for 0.7% of security threats last year. That’s just a hair more than Windows Phone and BlackBerry, with many more users.

If you’re wondering why Schiller’s tweet is garnering so much attention, it’s because Apple, and its executives, typically maintains a quiet public presence. But perhaps with all of the bad press lately, it’s trying to change the conversation.

What do you think, good move or bad move by Schiller?