Apple Inc. is no alien to lawsuits and counter lawsuits. The most talked about lawsuit the company has been involved in is against Samsung. Time and again we hear that companies sue Apple for alleged infringement in the U.S.. However, this time Ericsson has beefed up its attempt to make Apple pay royalties by suing the company in Germany, the U.K, the Netherlands in addition to U.S. filings.

Kasim Alfalahi, Ericsson’s chief IP officer said, “Everybody needs to take a license for the technologies we are providing to them”. He further added, “It’s a very serious thing, regardless of who the company is.”

Apple Inc. had singed a licensing agreement with Ericsson and paid royalties for use of its intellectual property until the license expired in mid-January. Failed talks over renewal fees is likely the cause behind Ericsson now seeking court ruling in this matter.

When the news about this lawsuit broke Ericsson shared took a huge leap of 6.3 percent. The company ‘s market value has risen to $38 billion.

Apple in its complaint in January mentioned that Ericsson, “seeks to exploit its patents to take the value of these cutting-edge Apple innovations” and referred to their tactic as “abusive licensing practices.”

Legal battles aren’t new in tech industry and we will just have to wait and see how this one turns out. Many intellectual property activists have highlighted the need to reform patent litigation given the massive scale and implication of these lawsuits.

Here are 5 interesting facts to note from Apple’s earnings call.

1. Apple beat every company in the world with the highest quarterly net profit.

Apple’s Q1 2015 net profit was more than any other company in the world. In the top 20 list of highest quarterly net profit Apple is the only consumer electronics company to be featured on the list, others are Oil & Gas companies. Apple is featured 5 times on the same list.

2. Apple made a net profit of $8.3 million every hour this quarter.

When you were happy that you got a good 7 hour sleep on a certain day, Apple earned about $58.1 million in the same amount of time. That’s not bad for a company whose entire product lineup could fit on top of your dinning table.

3. The billionth iOS device Apple sold was a Space Gray 64GB iPhone 6 Plus.

During its earnings call Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that on November 22nd the company shipped their 1 billionth iOS device. Apple has saved the billionth iOS device at the Apple HQ in Cupertino.

4. Apple Pay makes up more than $2 out of $3 spent on purchase using contactless payment in the U.S.

Within three months after launch of Apple Pay, the service now supports about 750 banks and credit unions. According to Apple WholeFoods saw a 400% increase in mobile payment since the introduction of Apple Pay.

5. iPad sales slumped this quarter.

While all major product categories grew in revenue and units sold, Apple’s iPad sales figures were lower than expected. In Q1 2015 Apple sold 21.4 million devices compared to 26 in the year ago quarter. Apple introduced the all-new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini however, this did not help Apple is posting record sales for the tablet.

With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) under intense criticism over the past several months, it is not surprising that the company’s CEO, Tim Cook would come out and regret some of the steps they took in the past. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been seeing its stock in a tailspin, analysts worrying about gross margins, and many claiming that the company is lacking in innovation.

On Tuesday, during Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Q2 2013 earnings call, Cook admitted that Apple should have waited until 2013 to release the new redesigned iMac. The new iMac uses a new screen lamination process that caused many problems when it was introduced in late 2012, and the radically thin design appeared to be slightly bold for something was to be released within weeks of its announcement.

The new iMac was released into a mass of customers that hadn’t seen any new products in months, and as a result, expectations were high. Unfortunately, the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) delayed the iMac, which resulted in a decline in sales for the holiday quarter. Mac sales slipped to 4.1 million, mainly because of the failure of iMac’s launch. Cook admitted during the earnings call that this was a mistake and commented on the situation:

We felt our customers had to wait too long. In retrospect, yes, I sort of wish we had done it after the turn of the year. Customers wouldn’t have had to have waited as long as they did.

Tim Cook’s apology is a sign of the type of leadership that the company is now under, with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s former CEO, Steve Jobs rarely offering up an apology for any mistakes made. Jobs simply found a way to prove the company right or make amends through actions. Cook has already apologized for the failed Maps app in iOS, as well as for its subpar handling of warranty issues in China.

{Via AppleInsider}

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has increased its international retail presence over the past several years, and has opened new stores in Barcelona, as well as a number of stores in and around China. AAPL has been opening stores and gravitating towards regions where their revenue has increased. On Thursday, Apple Inc. announced through its website that it will be opening its first ever retail store in Germany’s capital, Berlin.

Despite the fact that Apple has other stores, this will be the first one available for people of the city and will be the 11th Apple Store in the country overall. The store will be located alongside Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm and will be the country’s largest store in Germany to date. Apple has scheduled the grand opening for May 3rd at 5:00pm local time. Although most Apple Retail stores open early in the morning, the company may be moving to a later time to ensure that there will be a large presence for the grand opening.

Apple has increased its international retail presence greatly over the year, adding more and more customers to its closed environment and ensuring over 120 million visitors to its stores and $50 million in revenue for the year. The company is also scheduled to open a new store Adelaide, Australia around the same time as this one in Berlin. Apple has reach that no other tech company has in today’s market and it is using that leverage to expand well beyond the company’s birthplace in California.

{Via AppleInsider}

With the second fiscal quarter of 2013 (first calendar quarter) at an end, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is once again set to report its quarterly earnings. AAPL will announce the Q2 2013 earnings results on April 23, exactly 3 months after they announced the Q1 earnings of 2013. The company notified the public of this earnings call by posting the date on its investor relations page.

Normally, Apple’s earnings calls start around 4:30 PM Eastern Time at around 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific because stock trading, which happens on the East Coast stops for the day around 4:20 PM. Apple proposed that this quarter, the company will record revenue between $41 and $43 billion and gross margin between 37.5% and 38.5%. Majority of the revenue will come from the sale of the iPad mini and the iPhone 5.

Three months ago, the company reported one of its most successful quarters, increasing its revenue and profit each year. However, in recent weeks and months, the company has experienced a major drop in stock price after reports began suggesting that Apple was no longer and innovative company and that it had nothing new to move towards now that Steve Jobs was gone.

It will be interesting to see how Apple’s CEO Tim Cook will handle the earnings call, especially since many of the negative reports on the company’s innovation emerged very recently.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) launched a new online campaign, adding “Why You’ll Love iPhone” section to their website. The promotion which highlights a number of reasons why customers love the iPhone, is seen on the front splash page of the company’s website, as well as an email newsletter and a dedicated “Why iPhone” page.

There’s iPhone.
Then there’s everything else.

What makes an iPhone unlike anything else? Maybe it’s that it lets you do so many things. Or that it lets you do so many things so easily. Those are two reasons iPhone owners say they love their iPhone. But there are many others as well.

On the “Why iPhone” page, Apple highlights a number of key features that make the iPhone attractive to its customers including the detail in the iPhone’s design, the Retina display, battery life, powerful and efficient A6 chip, as well as the company’s eight consecutive J.D. Power customer satisfaction awards.

By introducing this new campaign only a day after Samsung released its Galaxy S4 smartphone, it appears that Apple is reminding consumers why the iPhone is deemed one of the best smartphones. Samsung has gotten a leg up in the market against Apple, airing people based ads as opposed to Apple’s ads focused on the product.

With this campaign, alongside its new iPhone 5 ad campaign which centers on apps, Apple appears to be focusing entirely on user experience and is hoping to attract customers through usability as opposed to focusing on technical specifications.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) has had yet another management shift, making it the third retail executive departure from the company in the past year. According to IFOAppleStore, Apple’s VP of Retail, Jerry McDougal has left the company to spend more time with his family. McDougal has been a part of the company for 12 years, running Apple’s retail marketing, product merchandising, store operations, loss prevention and customer loyalty programs and worked under Apple’s former retail chief, Ron Johnson. Johnson left the company to become CEO of JC Penney to help the company reshape its retail future.

A key player in the birth of Apple’s retail chain and a potential candidate to lead the retail stores has left the company. Jerry McDougal, Vice-President of Retail, said goodbye to his colleagues last Friday, sources say. His departure was explained as not work-related, but rather so he could spend more time with his family.

McDougal was considered as a replacement for Johnson when he left the company for JC Penney and then again for John Browett who left the company late last year, alongside iOS chief Scott Forstall who was ousted from the company because of issues with Maps and Siri, as well as personal issues with other executives. According to AllThingsD, McDougal will be replaced by Apple’s VP of Finance, Jim Bean.

Jim Bean is moving to Retail to help support our store teams. Jim has been at Apple for 15 years and is a great leader who understands our culture and focus on customer service.

Apple expects employees on the campus to dedicate large portions of their daily time and lives to the company, and recently has been placing the duties of departing executives on other vice presidents at the company. Ultimately, Apple is restructuring the management team that once operated under former CEO and Chairman, Steve Jobs.

{Via MacRumors}

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Apple Inc. (AAPL) has fired the manager of the iOS 6 Maps team, Richard Williamson. Williamson lead the team that created the new iOS 6 Maps, which many users complained was not very useful, and was not entirely accurate in providing directions. In many cases, the Maps would display a location in the wrong city or country, and sometimes even in the middle of the ocean.

Following a major management shake up at AAPL, which removed Scott Forstall as SVP of iOS Software, Eddy Cue took over the role of managing Maps. Forstall was also reportedly involved “internal politics” at Apple, which also added to the decision for Forstall to be removed. This was one of Cue’s first major changes in his new position, looking for outside assistance now to help move Maps on iOS forward.

A team at Apple has been working to fix the mapping mistakes, focusing first on some of the most glaring problems, one person said. The satellite imagery over the U.K. has been improved and labels for popular U.S. landmarks such as the Washington Monument have been corrected.

The Maps application included in iOS 6 was essentially a 1.0 version, meaning that the Maps team was under an intense time crunch, and was not able to work out many of the kinks generally associated with any new application. Bloomberg also notes that the Maps team is working to fix many of the known issues, while Apple will likely begin searching for a new manager, capable of leading the existing Maps team.

{Via iMore — Image Credit: Apple}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone 5 went on sale in the United States in late September, adding to the holiday lineup of all new Macs and iPods. Now, AAPL is also planning to bring the latest iPhone with the taller 4 inch screen, A6 chip, and LTE wireless to China. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Cupertino based company would be bringing the iPhone 5 to China in late November or early December.

Government officials haven’t offered guidance on when the iPhone 5 might win final approval. But China Telecom Chairman Wang Xiaochu said Friday in a brief interview on the sidelines of the Communist Party’s 18th Party Congress in Beijing that the phone should be by early December if not sooner.

China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing was less certain. “We hope to offer it this year, but what I say doesn’t matter,” he said on the sidelines of the congress, adding that his company was waiting for the government to grant the remaining licenses for the phone to be released in China.

Apple is already looking at a breakthrough holiday quarter and with the iPhone 5 selling in other countries, the company will experience even higher sales. According to the WSJ report, 16% of Apple’s revenue came from China last quarter, which equates to $5.7 billion. Apple’s Foxconn factory has been experiencing delays in production of the iPhone 5, and shortages of the device in places where it is already on sale and is causing even more demand for the product.

Apple has already mentioned that they will roll out the iPhone 5 to 100 more countries after the US and with the rapid release around the world, and will do so in about 2 months after the initial US release. Despite Apple not officially selling the iPhone in China, there are many in use across the country, brought in by resellers who have purchased them in other countries, mostly the United States.

As sales begin and gradually increase in China, the number of units being purchased for resale in the United States will stop. As a result, the production will finally catch up to the demand. China is a major growth opportunity for Apple, as CEO Tim Cook has mentioned in the past, and it will continue to be as demand for the company’s products grow more and more each year.

{Via MacRumors}

Early last week, reports of Apple Inc. (AAPL) opening a third store in Beijing were published, with photos from chinese site MicGadget showing the entrance of the new store under construction. On Sunday, Apple confirmed that they are going to open the third store in Beijing, located on the iconic Wangfujing Street. The Cupertino, Calif., company confirmed that the store is scheduled to open at 10am this Saturday, as with all other Apple grand openings.

China is a major market for AAPL, as the company has experienced massive growth in numerous Asian nations including China. Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated numerous times in past earnings calls that China is very important to Apple’s growth worldwide. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is also planning to open a massive data center in Hong Kong during the first quarter of 2013, allowing the company to expand and integrate more into the country and support its international users.

By opening the new store, Apple is looking at growth in sales, as the company receives a large part of its revenue from China, Japan and other Asian nations. During the grand opening, Apple typically gives out free commemorative t-shirts to the first 10,000 visitors and has even given out goody bags in its retail stores in China, consisting of gift cards, iPod Shuffles, and even iPads.

{Via 9to5Mac — Image Credit: MicGadget}

On Monday, a report from The Wall Street Journal mentioned that Apple Inc. (AAPL) has placed orders for around 10 million iPad mini tablets to supply chain vendors. This information reportedly came directly from the chain vendors in Asia who claim that they received the orders from AAPL.

If the proposed information turns out to be true, this means that Apple has long finalized the design and the hardware internals of the device as it is now in production and that the rumors about the Mini seen in the past may very well be true.

Some component suppliers to Apple in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million units of the smaller tablets in the fourth quarter. That is roughly double the order that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets in the same quarter, these suppliers say. The figure indicates that Apple believes demand for the product will be strong, despite stiff competition in the market. Apple hasn’t responded to requests for comment on the smaller tablet dubbed by the industry as the iPad mini.

Over the past few weeks, rumors about the new iPad Mini have slowed down, likely pointing to the fact that there are no new part leaks, and all of the rumored information available may be what is going to be in the final version.

Apple currently dominates the tablet industry, with its 9.7 inch iPad, however, consumers are also beginning to opt for smaller screen sizes for portability and cheaper prices. With a 7 inch iPad Mini, Apple can continue to lead the market and provide users with a cheaper, smaller option without sacrificing any features.

{Via iMore}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) on Tuesday reported their Q2 2012 earnings results. As always, AAPL is showing record numbers from revenue to profit and is seeing great increase in the sales of their mobile devices. The company reported quarterly revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion. That’s roughly $6.40 per diluted share, which is up almost 94% from the previous year.

Apple sold a whopping 35.1 million iPhones, 11.8 million iPads, 4 million Macs, and 7.7 million iPods in the quarter. This represents an 88 percent growth for iPhone sales a massive 151 percent increase for the iPad, a 7 percent increase for Macs, and unsurprisingly, a 15 percent decline in iPod sales. iPod sales have been steadily declining for the last two years, and decreased by about 21% just last quarter.

Even with this decline, Apple is surpassing its expectations from last quarter, where revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 was projected to be $32.5 billion, with an earnings per diluted share of $8.50. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about the earnings, noting that he is pleased with the profit margins and sales:

We’re thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.

Apple has not been resting on their laurels with meeting their expectations and has continued to go above and beyond their financial projections. Following Apple’s earnings calling, CFO, Peter Oppenheimer even went as far as to say that he expects revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68.

{via Apple}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) MacBook Pro model has been around for quite some time now, serving as the perfect combo between a consumer and pro product, in accordance to the vision of late CEO and Chairman of Apple, Steve Jobs. AAPL introduced MacBook Pro in 2006, and replaced the Powerbook G4, launching the Cupertino company into a wave of success for many years to come.

In recent weeks, rumors have been floating around the web that suggest Apple is going to drastically redesign the MacBook Pro and introduce a design very similar to that of the MacBook Air.

On Monday, Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities, predicted that Apple may discontinue the 17 inch MacBook Pro indefinitely. Kuo noted that declining shipments from Apple were the main cause of speculation. It is very likely that Apple may discontinue the high end Pro, possibly because of the high price tag, and the company’s obsession with making their products thinner and lighter.

Kuo has a solid track record, previously indicating the discontinuation of the 13.3 inch polycarbonate MacBook, which was phased out of Apple’s product line and educational offerings last July. Apple’s redesign of the MacBook Pro, and discontinuation of the 17 inch model shows Apple’s dedication to simplify their product lineup and keeping the original vision for their products, making them more portable without sacrificing usability.

{via AppleInsider}

Reports about the treatment of workers at Apple Inc. (AAPL) Supplier factories in other countries surfaced on Thursday, revealing that the companies ignored many issues with their workers, many cases which led to suicide in a Foxconn factory. On Friday, AAPL CEO Tim Cook responded to the reports, suggesting that Apple takes any and all employee issues seriously and is now investigating and addressing any issues or concerns. 9to5Mac reported Tim Cook’s reponse on Apple’s efforts to oversee compliance with company standards for workers’ rights.

As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values. Unfortunately some people are questioning Apple’s values today, and I’d like to address this with you directly. We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. Any accident is deeply troubling, and any issue with working conditions is cause for concern. Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It’s not who we are.

Cook also goes on to thank employees who are focusing and helping with these issues and that Apple is taking this very seriously and will continue to increase its efforts.

We will continue to dig deeper, and we will undoubtedly find more issues. What we will not do — and never have done — is stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain. On this you have my word.

The New York Times has also gathered statements from Chinese readers, who suggest that this issue is not specific to Apple and is rather a widespread issue, which should be addressed with governmental regulations. This issue appears to be very prevalent in manufacturing factories, such as Apple’s Foxconn supplier and many other companies who outsource manufacturing.

{via Mac Rumors}

After the passing of former CEO and Chairman Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has made transitions to appoint a new Chairman of the Board, as well as a new addition to the board. Apple’s new chairman is Arthur D. Levinson, co-lead director of the board since 2005, and also chairman of Genentech.

While Levinson settles in his new roles and begins to grasp his new responsibilities as Chairman, the board receives a new member, Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Iger worked with Steve Jobs, and Tim Cook in the past and as a good relationship with AAPL. Both Levinson and Iger will now take part in larger events at Apple Inc. and will both serve on the board’s audit committee. Apple CEO, Tim Cook welcomed the Chariman and boardmember, saying that Disney’s CEO would be “a great fit for Apple”.

Bob and I have gotten to know one another very well over the past few years and on behalf of the entire board, we think he is going to make an extraordinary addition to our already very strong board

“Art has made enormous contributions to Apple since he joined the board in 2000,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “He has been our longest serving co-lead director, and his insight and leadership are incredibly valuable to Apple, our employees and our shareholders.”

As CEO of Pixar, Steve Jobs was the largest shareholder of Disney and kept very good connections with the company over the years. Disney and Apple Inc. have also worked together on numerous occasions, on both iTunes releases as well as a presentation from Bob Iger during the introduction of iAd. Under new leadership, Apple is progressing towards a bright future, and releasing products that are a big hit with customers. With Levinson and Iger, Apple is looking forward to a long successful journey.

{via TUAW}

The web is swirling from news of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) acquiring mapping company, C3 Technologies in an effort to beat out competition with Google’s Map data, currently available on all iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch models. AAPL has been relying upon Google to provide iOS users with map data and location based services, something that Apple Inc. is trying to take into their own hands.

With C3 Technologies, Apple can create a virtual rendition of the Street View feature of the iPhone Maps application and could provide iOS users with a far more detailed mapping experience than ever before. As noted previously, the Maps application in iOS has not seen a major revision since its introduction in early 2007. A source from 9to5 Mac confirmed the following:

Sure enough, we have now learned Apple is now the owner of C3 Technologies. Sources say that C3 Technologies CEO Mattias Astrom , C3 Technologies CFO Kjell Cederstrand, and lead C3 Technologies Product Manager Ludvig Emgard are now working within Apple’s iOS division. The leading trio, along with most of the former C3 Technologies team, is still working as a team in Sweden (interestingly, the division is now called “Sputnik”), where the C3 Technologies company was located prior to the Apple acquisition.

C3 Technologies were a very popular piece of CES 2011, lighting up the show with demos of their technology on Android and iOS devices. With Apple’s acquisition however, the technology would be limited and developed on iOS only. The company uses formerly classified missile targeting technology to achieve its extremely detailed 3D mapping effects, something that has not been seen on mobile devices.

It is not surprising that Apple wishes to part ways with Google, with all of its hardware and software being created in house. It is currently unclear when Apple will incorporate this new technology, but will likely release in next year’s iOS 6 release.

{via MacRumors}

The gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter and international sales accounted for 63 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

AAPL also announced that the company established a new all-time quarterly record with sales of 4.89 million Macs which exceeded previous record set in the last December quarter by 760,000 Macs representing a 26% increase over the year-ago quarters results. Mac OS X Lion saw tremendous response with over 6 million downloads during the September quarter.

The iPod sales saw a decline as the company sold 6.6 million iPods compared to 9.1 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple still retains 70% of the U.S market share for MP3 players. iTunes store on the other hand generated almost $1.5 billion in revenue. The company has seen more than 16 billion songs and 650 million TV shows downloads to date. iBookstore saw a total of 180 million downloads.

Apple sold 17.1 million iPhones compared to 14.1 million in the previous September quarter. iPhone saw 21% year-over-year growth and the company witnessed strong sales growth in Asia-Pacific segment where the sales more than doubled year-over-year. Apple’s CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, acknowledged that the company anticipated iPhone sell-through to decline sequentially from the June quarter as new product speculation intensified.

The iPad sales also set a new record with 11.1 million iPads sold during September quarter compared to 4.2 million in the year-ago quarter, an increase of 166%. The revenue generated from sales of iPad and iPad accessories during the quarter were $6.9 billion compared to $2.8 billion in the year-ago-quarter.

The cumulative iOS device sales have now surpassed 0.25 billion number. The App Store has more than 500,000 apps and has witnessed 18 billion downloads to date.

Apple’s cash and short-term and long-term marketable securities totaled $81.6 billion at the end of the September quarter, compared to $76.2 billion at the end of the June quarter, a sequential increase of $5.4 billion.

The company reported that over the course of the year it generated $108 billion in revenue, an increase of $43 billion over fiscal 2010 results. Apple sold more than 72 million iPhones, 32 million iPads and around 17 million Macs in fiscal 2011.

{via Apple and Seeking Alpha}

The conference call will go live around 5PM Eastern/ 2PM Pacific and will be available for rebroadcast directly after the earnings call.

WHAT: Apple® FY 11 Fourth Quarter Results Conference Call

WHERE: Via conference call. The dial-in number for press is (866) 431-5314 (toll-free) or (719) 457-2626. Please enter confirmation code 898560.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 2:00 p.m. PDT/5:00 p.m. EDT

Last quarter, Apple broke records with $7.31 billion in profit on revenue of $28.57 billion. Apple is increasing its revenue and profits from that revenue every fiscal quarter and outdoes itself every year, in terms of product sales, and services. AAPL stock has been increasing since the announcement of the iPhone 4S and only experienced a slight dip, due to the passing of Steve Jobs.

Since then, AAPL has rebounded and passed the usual $378 thresh hold. For the fourth quarter, numbers coming in around $25 billion in revenue with profits of $5.50 per share are holding up now. Tune in to Apple’s Q4 Earnings call on October 18th, which will be streaming live on Apple’s site.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) online stores have been in the United States and many other countries since it’s introduction. Now, the company has opened its Online Stores even in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and UAE.

AAPL has been branching out its stores and products all around the world in recent months and has been opening up more retail stores in areas that wouldn’t otherwise receive one.

With Apple’s latest move, customers who do not have access to Apple products or would have to obtain it from a different country, now have an Online Store that will ship directly to their door. Apple will now be directly challenging third party retailers such as Sharaf DG and Carrefour UAE who are selling Apple products and cases and will continue to grow their sales each quarter. Customers in these four countries will now be able to shop all products online, buy extended Apple Care plans, and receive online sales support just like in the US.

Apple Inc.  has now increased their number of Online Stores to 37 including these new countries. The company is attempting to reach even more countries with its retail stores and online stores and is spreading the popularity of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to every corner of the globe. If these four new countries show promising sales, Apple is expected to reach out to other countries and open more Online Stores.

{via TUAW}

Before resigning, Jobs recommended Tim Cook to be the new CEO of the Palo Alto company. Jobs is still expected to be part of Apple and will help the company expand, but will not be the sole decision maker as CEO.

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

Steve Job’s announcement had little effect on Apple Inc. stock (AAPL) with the final trade at $375.56. When trading resumed at 4:55, Apple’s stock decreased to to $351. Steve’s resignation poses a change in expectations and may allow Apple to move to greater achievements in the near future as the Jobs has strengthened the company during his tenure as the CEO.

Do you think Steve Jobs resigning will affect the goals that he originally set out for? Do you think stocks will be further affected?

The latest suit was mentioned in Apple’s complaint against Samsung and later discovered by FOSS Patents. Apple filed a complaint with the same court over the design of the Motorola XOOM. However, it’s worth noting that the filing doesn’t state whether it includes a request for preliminary injunction.

There isn’t a clear statutory limit, but German lawyers usually discourage such motions unless they are filed within one month of finding out about an infringement. It’s possible to get permanent injunctions even against older products, but for preliminary ones there must be a particular sense of urgency. It’s possible that Apple has also been aware of the Xoom for too long to file for a preliminary injunction at this stage.

Apple is potentially making it difficult for Android smartphone manufactures to sell their devices as patent infringement, if proven, could result in high licensing fees.

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out between Apple and Motorola.

According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple Inc. (AAPL) overtook Nokia in global smartphone market share during the second quarter.

Apple has now become worlds largest smartphone manufacturer as Nokia slipped to number three and Samsung coming close at second position. The global smartphone market saw 110 million units being shipped which represented 76% growth. 

Apple shipped 20.3 million units and controlled 18.5% of the smartphone market whereas Samsung came very close with 19.2 million units in the same quarter. Nokia witnessed major drop as its market share fell from 38.1% to 15.2%.

Expansion in China and other Asian countries helped Apple’s growth in global smartphone market and analysts view the company’s ability to quickly expand in Asian markets as an important factor to retain the momentum.

As Nokia’s Ovi Store failed to gain traction and the fact that the company announced that newer handsets would support Windows platform caused the Finnish giant to lose major market share. 

Samsung on the other hand has shown very positive results as Android platform continues to grow. However, it’s worth noting that even though Apple ships just one new model every year the company has been reporting superb results year over year.

Apple is expected to announce iPhone 5 in September which could help the company post stellar results yet again in Q3 and Q4. With iOS 5 and iCloud iPhones would not need a computer to set up which will help in much higher sales especially in Asian countries.

According to a report published by BGR, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be interested in acquiring Barnes & Noble. The report notes that the latest rumor has come from an “unproven source”.

We received a tip from an unproven source claiming to have knowledge of discussions within Apple to possibly purchase Barnes & Noble…
This unproven source also said that iTunes 11 would be released in September along with iOS 5 and iCloud, and will support reading iBooks on computers as well as textbook purchases and rentals.

It is safe to question what Apple would do with such a purchase, although acquiring a large bookseller such as Barnes & Noble could benefit AAPL with their e-reader approach for the iPad.

Perhaps Apple is looking to strengthen their relationship with publishers by acquiring Barnes &Noble and transforming it. Barnes & Noble stock currently places the company at a price of only $1 Billion, a small price compared to Apple’s $76 billion cash reserve. The company may have to pay more in order to acquire all of Barnes & Noble’s more than 700 stores, 600 college bookstores, eBookstore and Nook e-reader.

Apple has not yet commented on this matter, something that is still shaky and looks highly unlikely. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

HTC’s CFO, Winston Yung, reportedly said, “We have to sit down and figure it out,” and further added, “We’re open to having discussions.”

The Taiwanese smartphone maker earlier this month announced that they acquired S3 Graphics Co. for $300 million. This deal came in less than a week after S3 Graphics won an ITC ruling against the Cupertino, Calif., based company.

Yung has expressed his company’s desire to engage in talks with Apple and commented:

We are open to all sorts of solutions, as long as the solution and the terms are fair and reasonable,

On and off we’ve had discussions with Apple, even before the initial determination came out.

Apple has been very aggressive in protecting its intellectual property and is already involved in many high profile patent cases. This year particularly has seen AAPL being sued by various companies alleging their own unique claim.

Patent infringement often leads to settlement between the companies involved however, this involves high amount of royalty and in some cases long term license payments.

It will be interesting to see how Apple and HTC settle the matter. Do you think the current patent system in the US is limiting innovation and competition? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{via Bloomberg}

A report from The Financial Times today mentioned that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has surpassed Nokia to claim the spot for world’s top smartphone vendor. Apple Inc. experienced rapid growth with the introduction of it’s iPhone 4 while Nokia experienced a sharp decrease in manufacturing and production.

AAPL had the ability to close out a 5.5 million unit deficit during the first quarter and turn it into a 3.6 million unit lead in the second quarter. Apple’s 3rd quarter also produced sufficient results and suggests that Apple may be holding this spot for a long time.

Shipments of Nokia smartphones declined by 34 per cent to 16.7m units, compared with the 20.3m iPhones shipped by Apple in its second quarter.

Apple was already the biggest smartphone maker by revenue and profits, but the April-June period marked the first time it had surpassed Nokia in volume.

Nokia and Research in Motion used to be two of the biggest cell phone manufacturers in the world, but failed to hold out after Apple topped RIM in Global shipments during the 3rd quarter of 2010. With this news coming at the beginning of the 4th quarter of 2011 and the introduction of Mac OS X Lion, Apple can expect huge growth in sales of shipments.

Apple has faced competition from Android and HTC, although Apple still remains number one due to Android phones being shipped by more than one manufacturer. Both Android and HTC have shipped about half the number of phones globally when compared with Apple. Android has experienced major growth over the last year, but is still behind in terms of shipment volumes. Apple has yet to formally announce this new achievement.