At that time, Google's chief executive, now chairman, Eric Schmidt also sat on the board of Apple.
However, relations began to sour when Google unveiled Android in November 2007, 10 months after the iPhone first appeared.
In subsequent years, Apple rejected a number of Google programs from its App store, forcing the company to create less-integrated web app versions.
Android has subsequently enjoyed rapid adoption and now accounts for around 48% of global smartphone shipments, compared to 19% for Apple.
But its growth has not gone uncontested. Apple has waged an aggressive proxy-war against Android, suing a number of the hardware manufacturers which have adopted it for their tablets and smartphones.
Motorola was one of the first to be targeted, although it is Samsung that has borne the brunt of Mr Jobs' ire.
The South Korean firm is currently banned from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia and Germany because of a combination of patent infringements and "look and feel" similarities. A smartphone ban is also pending in the Netherlands.
Samsung is counter-suing Apple for infringing, it claims, several wireless technology patents which it holds the rights to.