Which company can take over Apple's reign in the smartphonebusiness eventually.

[Muro]

Apple right now is the biggest tech corp in the world. We all know this can't last forever as succes often comes in cycles.

How long will Apple's reign continue and what company possesses the qualities to take over Apple's reign eventually, especially in the smartphonebusiness.

Do you see small companies right now doing good things who will, with time, will grow bigger and bigger. Or will it be a present powerhouse company which will succeed.

Is Facebook not an option, they just released some messenger App only what they need now is a Facebookphone by it's popularity of Facebook itself it wouldn't suprise me if they build a decent device it would sell like a ...... (choose your own definition of Awesomeness)

What's your take on this folks?

 

[FSMBP]

Apple right now is the biggest tech corp in the world. We all know this can't last forever as succes often comes in cycles.

How long will Apple's reign continue and what company possesses the qualities to take over Apple's reign eventually, especially in the smartphonebusiness.

Do you see small companies right now doing good things who will, with time, will grow bigger and bigger. Or will it be a present powerhouse company which will succeed.

Is Facebook not an option, they just released some messenger App only what they need now is a Facebookphone by it's popularity of Facebook itself it wouldn't suprise me if they build a decent device it would sell like a ...... (choose your own definition of Awesomeness)

What's your take on this folks?

The reason for Apple is successful is two-fold: 1. They develop both hardware & software for their products (tighter integration = better stability & support). 2. Apple's philosophy has always been make complicated things simpler.

Currently, I can't think of any company that can compete (not being a fanboy, but just look around). Microsoft may be able to top Apple with WP7 but it's too early to tell.

 

[Muro]

The reason for Apple is successful is two-fold: 1. They develop both hardware & software for their products (tighter integration = better stability & support). 2. Apple's philosophy has always been make complicated things simpler.

Currently, I can't think of any company that can compete (not being a fanboy, but just look around). Microsoft may be able to top Apple with WP7 but it's too early to tell.

Don't you also think even Microsoft benefitted a bit from Apple's succes. Until Windows 7 there always was critics on Windows being not innovative enough. Even Windows 7 is just a pimped up Windows 98 imo but they were getting some applaus with Windows 7. Now with everything getting Touch suddenly Windows will come out with a complete new layout based on touch WIndows 8(I know 7 also has touch features). Microsoft just did everything with the speed of a turttle, what do we really have seen in 15 years time from Microsoft?! But now they had to change their strategie to compete with others and suddenly they bring out good things.

 

[Looon]

Nobody currently there isn't any real competition as far as I can tell from a single company. Android is the next most popular phone OS and its spread between a whole bunch of companies

 

[Tech Elementz]

The reason for Apple is successful is two-fold: 1. They develop both hardware & software for their products (tighter integration = better stability & support). 2. Apple's philosophy has always been make complicated things simpler.

Currently, I can't think of any company that can compete (not being a fanboy, but just look around). Microsoft may be able to top Apple with WP7 but it's too early to tell.

This is correct. Apple did the right things to stay in the game, and has now became a world wide popular company for making the iPod, iPhone, iPad and Macs.

Don't you also think even Microsoft benefitted a bit from Apple's succes. Until Windows 7 there always was critics on Windows being not innovative enough. Even Windows 7 is just a pimped up Windows 98 imo but they were getting some applaus with Windows 7. Now with everything getting Touch suddenly Windows will come out with a complete new layout based on touch WIndows 8(I know 7 also has touch features). Microsoft just did everything with the speed of a turttle, what do we really have seen in 15 years time from Microsoft?! But now they had to change their strategie to compete with others and suddenly they bring out good things.

I think benefited is too strong of a word. I think "prompted" is a better word to use in this case. If Apple lost the battle back in the days, you would not have these new products, ideas, etc to battle with Apple. Microsoft would of most likely may have invented Vista and 7, but it would have to been competing with Apple, which is why their Tablets with Windows 7, and their Windows Phone 7 may have been more popular behind the rest, unless Android may have been the most preferred choice if the iPhone was not here.

Again, it's Apple huge success that has prompted to create what the competition has created to compete with Apple's products. If you want to see what I mean by prompted, then look at this.

 

[Muro]

Nobody currently there isn't any real competition as far as I can tell from a single company. Android is the next most popular phone OS and its spread between a whole bunch of companies

True, Google is a good candidate but the phones they did release didn't made Apple quite nervous. Even Android's succes is just marginal.

 

[Pez555]

i think Apple would have to majorly screw up if this was to ever happen.

They are going from strength to strength.

 

[Tech Elementz]

True, Google is a good candidate but the phones they did release didn't made Apple quite nervous

Nervous? Not a chance. Although I hope for the best with Motorola Mobility and Google.

 

[Muro]

This is correct. Apple did the right things to stay in the game, and has now became a world wide popular company for making the iPod, iPhone, iPad and Macs.



I think benefited is too strong of a word. I think "prompted" is a better word to use in this case. If Apple lost the battle back in the days, you would not have these new products, ideas, etc to battle with Apple. Microsoft would of most likely may have invented Vista and 7, but it would have to been competing with Apple, which is why their Tablets with Windows 7, and their Windows Phone 7 may have been more popular behind the rest, unless Android may have been the most preferred choice if the iPhone was not here.

Again, it's Apple huge success that has prompted to create what the competition has created to compete with Apple's products. If you want to see what I mean by prompted, then look at this.

Thanks for mentioning the right word, you said it spot on about what I mend, "prompted" is the right word. I'm Dutch therefor it's sometimes a struggle to find the right word.

Good lord...now that's what a difference a device can make and completely influencing the whole sector. Funny/nice picture...

 

[kdarling]

You'd need a company that isn't afraid to innovate, is good at it, and has some style.

HTC would be my pick. Their Sense UI is popular because HTC is willing to put extra effort into their software and onscreen graphics. I also liked that they were willing to add stylus support to their tablets.

However, HTC's name is not yet burned into the public consciousness. Apple has a large advantage there, along with a good service rep and perceived exclusivity (which in some cases doesn't actually exist due to the huge numbers shippped).

 

[Muro]

Nervous? Not a chance. Although I hope for the best with Motorola Mobility and Google.

What about Nokia? I still find it a bummer they canceled Meego, it looked pretty decent. By going for WP 7 they will never can come back to the top I guess. As a class company should have it's own hardware and software to establish this.

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You'd need a company that isn't afraid to innovate, is good at it, and has some style.

HTC would be my pick. Their Sense UI is popular because HTC is willing to put extra effort into their software and onscreen graphics. I also liked that they were willing to add stylus support to their tablets.

However, HTC's name is not yet burned into the public consciousness. Apple has a large advantage there, along with a good service rep and perceived exclusivity (which in some cases doesn't actually exist due to the huge numbers shippped).

There you have something, HTC. But shouldn't they also leave Android what it is and build their own OS, I think this is necessary for a company to excel. As the design, as well the exterior design, of an OS and it's features is a personification of a company's image. People just not only like to personify itself with the exterior design of the company but also with it's features and layout. In this case of all the Android using companies it just screams "We don't have the ability or are to lazy to give you a nice OS, sorry folks you have to do with a ready made kit called Android"

Something like this shows a companies weakness I think and customers don't like to personify itself with weakness but more with a strong and contemporary Brand.

 

[mkrishnan]

You'd need a company that isn't afraid to innovate, is good at it, and has some style.

I would guess it would be some innovation outside the traditional handset space, much like Apple came from outside the traditional handset space. I'm not sure that would describe anyone capable at the moment -- it's conceivable Facebook could get into the phone market, but they have no hardware experience, and God help us with whatever monstrosity they would come up with.

 

[Kyotoma]

The reason for Apple is successful is two-fold: 1. They develop both hardware & software for their products (tighter integration = better stability & support). 2. Apple's philosophy has always been make complicated things simpler.

In addition to this, I think they are masters of product placement in the entertainment industry. You see them everywhere when you turn on your TV or go to the movies. All you have to look for is that distinct outline of their iPhone or that light-up logo on their laptops.

Quite genius, really.

 

[iLog.Genius]

IMO, it'll have to be a company that has a hand in all aspects of the business like Apple. If Apple didn't control the hardware, software (iTunes, App Store, etc.), I don't think Apple would be as successful as they are today. I like Apple and I don't want them to fail but as a tech fanatic, I'm intrigued to see what the next big thing is.

 

[Muro]

I would guess it would be some innovation outside the traditional handset space, much like Apple came from outside the traditional handset space. I'm not sure that would describe anyone capable at the moment -- it's conceivable Facebook could get into the phone market, but they have no hardware experience, and God help us with whatever monstrosity they would come up with.

(LOL about the monstrosity)....Apple crushed everything with the multi-touch gesture. Before I never though something like that was possible but here you have it. The next thing should indeed come with a revolutionizing new innovation but what? and for what purpose, a screen you can increase in size by simply multi-touching your two fingers? Is it possible, hardly...but you never know.

 

[TC25]

What's your take on this folks?

If Apple's competitors focus on the simply the iPhone, they've already lost.

While the iPhone is a great smartphone, it's one product in Apple's strategy that includes the iPad, AppleTV, iPods, iTunes, etc. Granted, every consumer has not bought into this media (TV, movies, books, magazine, etc.) solution, but many have, and for them, deciding to switch smartphones isn't the simple decision it was just a few years ago.

 

[antman2295]

I think Google with android now has a shot, because they bought Motorola, they can actually do the same thing apple is doing, Making their Software work with their Hardware. Seeing as android is the second most popular OS they would be able to mostly likely keep up with Apple. Only the future can tell .

 

[chris975d]

I think Google with android now has a shot, because they bought Motorola, they can actually do the same thing apple is doing, Making their Software work with their Hardware. Seeing as android is the second most popular OS they would be able to mostly likely keep up with Apple. Only the future can tell .

I agree. I think that with the acquisition of Motorola, Google's own Android offerings are about to get world's better in terms of speed and battery life. By having their own manufacturer, Google can now optimize Android for a precise set of hardware specifications, just like Apple does for iOS. Google seems to have realized that the "open, license to everyone" OS model wasn't going to make Android into a true Apple/iOS competitor (quality wise), so they have at least put things in place to oversea their own Android handsets at least.

 

[Gjwilly]

I think "prompted" is a better word to use in this case. If Apple lost the battle back in the days, you would not have these new products, ideas, etc to battle with Apple.

That prompting goes both ways, luckily enough for us.
The current version of iTunes is a near copy of the Zune software, the Zune had "Ping" first and it also had wireless syncing.
Competition is good.

 

[dccorona]

there is no way to know. if and when apple is overtaken by another company, it will be because that company changed what they're doing right now. We don't know the plans much more than 6 months ahead for any of the platforms, so there is no way of knowing which will be the one innovative enough to overtake apple

if, of course, the cause were to be apple messing up and falling behind because of their bad choices, I think Android would be the platform to step up, with either HTC or Samsung becoming the largest provider of cell phones in the world (most likely samsung, as they are already closest to apple in that respect)...though personally I think Windows Phone 7 deserves to be the dominant platform, because they were willing to break the mold of what a phone is, and do more than just be an iPhone clone (as android was at first, though they've come a long way since then, and like samsungs android skin is)

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I think Google with android now has a shot, because they bought Motorola, they can actually do the same thing apple is doing, Making their Software work with their Hardware. Seeing as android is the second most popular OS they would be able to mostly likely keep up with Apple. Only the future can tell .

they won't operate motorola like apple operates their phone division, and it'd be stupid for them to try

taking motorola under their wing would be very risky...their business model isn't designed to accommodate hardware sales, and giving motorola preferential treatment would make their hardware partners start to look elsewhere (HTC and Samsung, the 2 biggest android hardware partners, also make WP7 phones, as does LG).

Using motorola to create their own custom made hardware would definitely improve android as an OS, but it'd seriously cut into googles profits. They'd make less money, by a long shot

 

[NachoGrande]

Innovation has been patented to extinction. Without these vaporware patents we’d have some pretty awesome phones.

 

[Savor]

The tides can turn quickly. In an industry based on trends, you can be hip today and be the laughingstock tomorrow. Nothing can last forever. Name a company on these gadgets that was #1 forever? Sony won volume sales with the PS1 and PS2 before being the laughingstock by 2006 with the PS3. Sony was the portable music industry before iPod came along.

Five years ago, the smartphone industry was dominated by Symbian, RIM, Windows Mobile, and Palm. Where are they now? Symbian is dead. Palm is dead. RIM is losing marketshare here in the U.S. And Windows Mobile is not the WM we know anymore and got completely revamped.

Just last year, HP is the #1 computer maker and Nokia is the #1 phone maker. HP sent shockwaves by announcing they are getting out of the PC hardware business. Nokia looks to be overtaken by a trojan sent from Microsoft and may never be the same. Motorola was on the top of the world five years ago with their RAZR. Eventually, Motorola split and the mobile division got bought out by Google. It would be naive to think the Apple gravy train on biscuit wheels to be chugging along forever.

I have three candidates -

Google because they just bought Motorola and can control the hardware and software now. And Google has the deep pockets. I look at it similar to the Windows vs Mac war back in the 80's and early 90's. It wasn't until Windows 95 when sales really took off in the consumer market. That was a 10 year gap from Windows 1.0. Android is only three years old. It has time to completely change.

Samsung because they make their own internal components, can offer different price points, and already competes in many different fields of the multimedia industry. This is why Apple gets the best stuff. Apple controls the supply chain. Samsung makes their own stuff in both hardware and software (externally and internally).

RIM because next year is an election year and CEO's are the best endorsers. Yes, they are a longshot, but things can change fast. The old dog still has something left. Nintendo was a laughingstock with their GameCube before making a dramatic comeback with the Wii in 2006. Like Apple, RIM controls both software and hardware. I believe QNX will bring them back and BlackBerries can be found on all carriers in different price points. Touchscreen-only or touchscreen + physical QWERTY should be common now. And what you see in the USA doesn't always apply to the rest of the world. BlackBerry is getting bigger in other countries with mass populations like Indonesia.

Eventually, people will have a burnout with "apps." At some point, enough is enough with it. Overkill. Some may just want to "simplify" it by going back to the core basics. And the recent tablet fad sorta overlaps the uses of an iPhone anyway...

I just feel bad for other companies like Nokia, Sony, and Nintendo. Many have become victims to Apple's own success. But for the foreseeable future, Apple controls the best parts from all the suppliers and has $75B in cash reserves. They will be fine. Steve Jobs can't live forever though. Eventually if someone else supercedes him, then Apple might make a couple blunders, loses the focus that he has, or just won't be "cool" anymore before starting to decline. It happens. Things get played out. Look at the music industry.

 

[Muro]

The tides can turn quickly. In an industry based on trends, you can be hip today and be the laughingstock tomorrow. Nothing can last forever. Name a company on these gadgets that was #1 forever? Sony won volume sales with the PS1 and PS2 before being the laughingstock by 2006 with the PS3. Sony was the portable music industry before iPod came along.

Five years ago, the smartphone industry was dominated by Symbian, RIM, Windows Mobile, and Palm. Where are they now? Symbian is dead. Palm is dead. RIM is losing marketshare here in the U.S. And Windows Mobile is not the WM we know anymore and got completely revamped.

Just last year, HP is the #1 computer maker and Nokia is the #1 phone maker. HP sent shockwaves by announcing they are getting out of the PC hardware business. Nokia looks to be overtaken by a trojan sent from Microsoft and may never be the same. Motorola was on the top of the world five years ago with their RAZR. Eventually, Motorola split and the mobile division got bought out by Google. It would be naive to think the Apple gravy train on biscuit wheels to be chugging along forever.

I have three candidates -

Google because they just bought Motorola and can control the hardware and software now. And Google has the deep pockets. I look at it similar to the Windows vs Mac war back in the 80's and early 90's. It wasn't until Windows 95 when sales really took off in the consumer market. That was a 10 year gap from Windows 1.0. Android is only three years old. It has time to completely change.

Samsung because they make their own internal components, can offer different price points, and already competes in many different fields of the multimedia industry. This is why Apple gets the best stuff. Apple controls the supply chain. Samsung makes their own stuff in both hardware and software (externally and internally).

RIM because next year is an election year and CEO's are the best endorsers. Yes, they are a longshot, but things can change fast. The old dog still has something left. Nintendo was a laughingstock with their GameCube before making a dramatic comeback with the Wii in 2006. Like Apple, RIM controls both software and hardware. I believe QNX will bring them back and BlackBerries can be found on all carriers in different price points. Touchscreen-only or touchscreen + physical QWERTY should be common now. And what you see in the USA doesn't always apply to the rest of the world. BlackBerry is getting bigger in other countries with mass populations like Indonesia.

Eventually, people will have a burnout with "apps." At some point, enough is enough with it. Overkill. Some may just want to "simplify" it by going back to the core basics. And the recent tablet fad sorta overlaps the uses of an iPhone anyway...

I just feel bad for other companies like Nokia, Sony, and Nintendo. Many have become victims to Apple's own success. But for the foreseeable future, Apple controls the best parts from all the suppliers and has $75B in cash reserves. They will be fine. Steve Jobs can't live forever though. Eventually if someone else supercedes him, then Apple might make a couple blunders, loses the focus that he has, or just won't be "cool" anymore before starting to decline. It happens. Things get played out. Look at the music industry.

Good arguments man, I like your post.

However I don't think Apps will eventually be extinquished they maybe will graduatly transform in another format. They are here to stay imo.

 

[sulpfiction]

The tides can turn quickly. In an industry based on trends, you can be hip today and be the laughingstock tomorrow. Nothing can last forever. Name a company on these gadgets that was #1 forever? Sony won volume sales with the PS1 and PS2 before being the laughingstock by 2006 with the PS3. Sony was the portable music industry before iPod came along.

Great post & very insightful! Thanks...I have one question though. Why was the PS3 was considered the laughingstock?

 

[Savor]

Nintendo DS is the best-selling gaming handheld of all-time. It's successor hasn't done so well as smartphones have taken over the casual gaming market that Nintendo captured.

PlayStation 2 is the best-selling video game home console of all-time. Its successor is 3rd place in the USA and an undoing of Sony's own arrogance and price point.

Again, nothing can last forever. It is like rooting for your fav sports team, but do they always make the Playoffs or win championships that year?

An empire does collapse. A dynasty does end. There is always an ending in this life. Everybody has one.

Steve Jobs' failing health is the only real vulnerability to Apple in the longer run. I always felt Apple is an extension of Steve Jobs' personality.

"When I didn't know what charisma meant, I met Steve Jobs and I knew."

"He wanted you to be great. He wanted you to create something that was great. And he was going to MAKE YOU do that."

"He's also obnoxious. And this comes from his high standards. He has extremely high standards and he has no patience with people who don't share those standards or perform to them."

XEROX AND THE GUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0nAX8g2FOw

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/discuss.php?fm=m&ff=8686&fi=2924196

It's weird to think that a few years from now HP (the world's largest PC manufacturer) and Nokia (the world's largest mobile manufacturer) likely won't exist as we know them today.

Well played, Apple.

Apple's problem is that right now they are very hip and trendy...the nature of hip and trendy things is that they quickly become unhip and untrendy.....

It's not that long ago that Palm Pilots and Blackberries were the hip and trendy thing....

"What does Apple have to do with this?"

Because with the high rate of change in the mobile industry right now no one, not even Apple, can afford to sit back and take their current position for granted.

Today's hip and trendy 'it' device is tomorrow's laughing stock that nobody wants.

As recently as 5 years ago, the 'smartphone' market was Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Palm.....now all 4 of those OS's are on the way out, Blackberry OS being replaced with QNX, Windows Mobile replaced with Windows Phone, Palm replaced first with WebOS, and then phased out altogether, and Symbian currently being eliminated.

If you think that Apple and Google are somehow invulnerable, you're crazy.