Bad few days for Apple / Good iPhone 5 news

[Stella]

Apple ordered to pay damages to Samsung by Dutch court
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18529756

Apple injunction against Motorola phones would be 'catastrophic,' judge says
http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._phones_would_be_catastrophic_judge_says.html


Leaving the positive until last:
iPhone 5 will put Samsung's Galaxy S III to shame, says Foxconn CEO
http://www.appleinsider.com/article...s_galaxy_s_iii_to_shame_says_foxconn_ceo.html

 

[So Random]

So where's the "bad" part?

• Apple has to throw a few bucks at Samsung. Probably the equivalent of pocket-change. There's no way to get around FRAND patents and Apple was holding out for a better deal. Consumers haven't noticed and won't really care, anyway. (see post 19: http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/15...ple-in-dutch-court-seeks-damages#post_2131220)
  
• Apple could potentially bury Motorola. I doubt anyone will shed tears over that.
  
• iPhone 5 will 99.999999% be another home run.

 

[roadbloc]

The bad part is that the apparent 'thermonuclear war' that Apple has against the Android world isn't exactly going well for them.

 

[Stella]

So where's the "bad" part?

The two lawsuit outcomes is a bad result for Apple, isn't it now. Not necessarily bad for 3rd party observers.

 

[So Random]

The bad part is that the apparent 'thermonuclear war' that Apple has against the Android world isn't exactly going well for them.

I doubt Jobs (and Cook) meant it quite as literally as you're taking it. And these "wars" aren't won or lost or somehow resolved overnight. They're complicated, messy, and it can take quite a while for the "combatants" to make even minimal headway, no matter which side we're talking about.

But from what we've seen product-wise from Apple in recent years, they've got their priorities (and finances) pretty straight.

I'm confident that Microsoft's recent Surface unveiling, no matter how much they flubbed it, and no matter how much the Surface is an answer to a question no one really asked (especially in light of the iPad), will encourage all players - Apple as well - to redouble efforts with respect to bringing great products to market. The patent wars and related wars in tech will continue regardless, but what else is new. They've always been there in one form or another. And yet, it's pretty astounding to see the advances made in consumer tech over the past 10-12 years.

 

[danahn17]

Wait... I'm not sure I'd say the last article is a positive for Apple necessarily... in fact it seems to have to do nothing with the quality of Apple's upcoming iPhone and everything to do with the Foxconn CEO's desire to overtake Samsung in the electronics market.

From the article:
Apple's iPhone was only mentioned in passing with Gou saying that "the new model will put Samsung’s Galaxy III to shame," with the main thrust of the message being Foxconn's ambition to overtake Samsung in seemingly every electronics market the South Korean company competes.

If you were in his shoes, wouldn't you say the same thing? Every iPhone that's sold benefits Foxconn and every SIII that gets sold doesn't. It's as if a close collaborator with BMW said something like the upcoming BMW SUV will put the current Lexus SUV to shame. Lot of marketing words but nothing much else.

Plus it seems like he has some major beef with Samsung:
According to the China Times, it is Gou's lifetime goal to defeat Samsung, a company that he says has "a track record of snitching on its competitors." The chief executive is referring to the whistleblower role taken by Samsung in the European Commission's 2010 flat-panel price fixing investigation of four Taiwanese companies.

I don't know the specifics of that case, but it seems to me that Samsung (whatever its motivation for doing so was) helped out us consumers by outing the price fixing.

 

[smoledman]

Apple declared thermonuclear war on the mobile industry in Jan 2007 when they announced the original iPhone. Now they make 70% of the mobile industry profits. The war was won 2 years ago when the iPhone 4 came out. Game over. Apple has $120 billion cash, the next best is Microsoft with $59 billion. What's scary is Apple is likely to register a $20 billion EBITA in the holiday quarter and that will be the new "low" profit number for the next year. Can Apple's exponential growth continue or is it about to hit a wall?

 

[G51989]

Apple declared thermonuclear war on the mobile industry in Jan 2007 when they announced the original iPhone. Now they make 70% of the mobile industry profits. The war was won 2 years ago when the iPhone 4 came out. Game over. Apple has $120 billion cash, the next best is Microsoft with $59 billion. What's scary is Apple is likely to register a $20 billion EBITA in the holiday quarter and that will be the new "low" profit number for the next year. Can Apple's exponential growth continue or is it about to hit a wall?

Apple does make an incredible phone, but it won't last forever.

Microsoft is a good case in point. They offer the best sultions for a great number of users, not all users. But a very good consistent, affordable and effective operating system for tons of people, they also branch into other markets.

That's how they've stayed so successful for so long. If Apple does the same, they will stay successful for a long time.

It will hit a wall eventually, and it might soon. Who knows? Apple will not always be king, eventually someone will come along with better products. It always happens, and the next big " thing to have " may or may not come from Apple.

Its very hard to say, Until someone comes along with something better, or more popular. Apple will do good as long as it plays its cards right.

 

[nec207]

Judges tosses Apple v. Motorola

A U.S. judge has tossed out the Apple v. Motorola patent case for good, according to reports.

Judge Richard Posner of the U.S. District of Northern Illinois said neither Apple nor Motorola has been able to prove damages and that neither company would be permitted to refile a claim, according to All Things Digital.

"It would be ridiculous to dismiss a suit for failure to prove damages and allow the plaintiff to refile the suit so that he could have a second chance to prove damages. This case is therefore dismissed with prejudice; a separate order to that effect is being entered today." ATD quoted Posner as having said in his ruling.

Earlier this month, Posner canceled Apple's patent infringement jury trial against Google's Motorola Mobility unit, then granted Apple's request for an injunction hearing.

On Wednesday, Posner strongly questioned Apple's bid for an injunction against Motorola smartphones, saying, according to Reuters, that a ban on sales could have "catastrophic effects" and would be "contrary to the public interest."

Apple has been waging a patent war over its iOS mobile operating system and Google's competing Android OS. Motorola sued Apple in 2010, in what some saw as a preemptive strike, but over the course of the legal proceedings, many of Motorola's claims had been tossed out, leaving the company with little ammunition.

Read more http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57459266-94/judges-tosses-apple-v-motorola/


Can some one tell me what these patent infringement are? Is some other company trying to make phone look like the iPhone?

 

[smoledman]

Apple does make an incredible phone, but it won't last forever.

Microsoft is a good case in point. They offer the best sultions for a great number of users, not all users. But a very good consistent, affordable and effective operating system for tons of people, they also branch into other markets.

That's how they've stayed so successful for so long. If Apple does the same, they will stay successful for a long time.

It will hit a wall eventually, and it might soon. Who knows? Apple will not always be king, eventually someone will come along with better products. It always happens, and the next big " thing to have " may or may not come from Apple.

Its very hard to say, Until someone comes along with something better, or more popular. Apple will do good as long as it plays its cards right.

but never has anyone had > $100 billion cash before. What can Apple do with this?

 

[G51989]

but never has anyone had > $100 billion cash before. What can Apple do with this?

To be honest, the 100 billion Apple has, could be the almost 70 billion Microsoft Has, not much of a difference in the real world.

Apple needs to make sure it keeps a super consistent large userbase. As it stands now, yes, Apple is SUPER popular. And they need to keep putting out great and different products to stay super popular.

As Microsoft dominates the OS market, Apple will need to dominate the Mobile and Tablet market if it wants to stay a huge company.

Example, Gaming, Power Users, Enterprise, heavy lifting, big business, huge networks. With the exception of Linux in a couple cases, Microsoft is the king. Its what they are good at, and its what their core business is.

For Apple, Macs are cool. But they make money off iOS, the iPhone, and the iPad. And a bit off the iPod. Its what they are good at, so they need to focus on making their product line something people want to keep buying.