Apple has become so arrogant that it deliberately ignores glaring consumer preferences, according to the tech giant's co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Credited as the chief brain behind the creation of Apple's initial computer products, Mr Wozniak told TechCentral, a South African technology Web site, in recent interview that he was a bit disappointed with the business strategies displayed lately by the firm he had established with the late Steve Jobs.

For one, 'The Woz' bemoaned the company's rigid hold on the Apple ecosystem, which he observed was inconsistent with the way iTunes became a hit with global consumers - by embracing openness with other digital products that were not necessarily designed and made by Apple.

Healthier and mutually beneficial exchanges with other mobile and computing platforms would redound for the best of the Cupertino, California-based company and the broader tech industry, Mr Wozniak insisted.

Yet this is not happening, he added, as shown by Apple's legal dispute with Samsung plus the firm's ongoing spar with the creator of Android, Google.

The latter war, analysts said, has become more prominent when Apple pulled a surprise by dropping Google Map as the default navigational app for the recently issued iPhone 5, a move that only delivered headaches to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The replacement turned ill-prepared for the high expectations of Apple reviewers and consumers, forcing Mr Cook to issue a formal apology the funky behaviour of the new iOS map application.

What happened and what is unfolding, according to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, were reflective of the intense battle brewing between Apple and the internet giant.

"We've not seen . . . competitive fights on this scale," Mr Schmidt was reported by AllThingsDigital on Wednesday.

And for Mr Wozniak, such skirmishes were wholly unnecessary, adding that hopefully Apple would shift gears soon.

By itself, "iPhone had been just a great a product as it was," but opening the bestselling smartphone would do more wonders for Apple, Mr Wozniak reiterated.

The Apple co-founder also believed that Apple is somewhat delusional with its conviction that by destroying Android, as once vowed by Mr Jobs, it would "maintain the lion's market share," of the mobile device contest.

As far as he is concerned, Android is not a problem at all and is even better that Windows, Mr Wozniak said.

He complained that Apple is blindsided by its arrogance on sticking with a certain screen size, despite the screen upgrade on iPhone 5, which largely overlooked the pulse of consumers wanting to see iPhone screens sizing up with what Android handsets offer.

"Not all people want the same thing. A lot of people want the big screens . . . You get a feeling you're getting more with a larger screen," Mr Wozniak explained.

"Part of me wishes that Apple had not be so, kind of arrogant and feeling 'We're the only one with the right clue' and I wish they had made a . . . small and a large version of the iPhone. It would have been great for me," he added.