links for 2010-01-13

  • Kevin: Anyone watching the mobile industry knows that Nokia is facing renewed competition. The comparison's with Apple slightly overlook the computer giant's diversified portfolio. However, it's worth noting that Apple went from zero to 17% in just a few years, and that's after many in the mobile strongholds of Europe dismissed the American upstart out of hand. But the figures are illustrative, even if they need some caveats. "Nokia beats Apple in annual sales ($57 billion versus $37 billion) and market share in smart-phones (39% versus 17%), but it is much less profitable. In fact, Nokia’s share of industry profits fell from 64% in 2007 to 32% in 2009—not much more than Apple’s and less than RIM’s, according to Brian Modoff, an analyst with Deutsche Bank. Small wonder that Nokia’s market capitalisation is barely a quarter of Apple’s."