Apple Inc. (AAPL), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK): The Fight to Be #3 in Smartphones

BlackBerry

The comeback kid, BlackBerry has a lot riding on how well the Z10 does, both in the United States and overseas. BlackBerrys were once a de rigeur possession in the business world, and the company hopes to reclaim that aura of suit-and-tie required while also appealing to the casual user outside of North America. While some people seem to think very highly of the new phone, others think BBRY can’t make it back all the way. I’m hopeful but agnostic. There are several obstacles in the company’s way.

The firm’s stock has been peaks and valleys since it started getting some media attention at the end of last year. Still, against all odds it’s up for the last 12 months–not a lot, but up. And it’s grown 138% since September. A lot of that is media hype but it’s made some people very happy. Keep an eye on BBRY, and you should think of putting risky money into it, though not a lot of it.

Microsoft

Microsoft and Nokia are also battling (together) for third place with their new partnership. Microsoft is an easy company for people who believe in the whole mythos of the tech sector to write off. That’s foolish. The company has a history of doing what it does well and without flash. Heck, there’s a lot to be said for a tech company that doesn’t center on one figurehead and instead behaves like a traditional firm.

The jury is still out over whether MSFT can make a strong move into the smartphone market. But the Windows 8 phone certainly looks good, at least at first glance. But whether Microsoft can leverage its existing business to bring the phones to the business world is yet to be seen.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)

And lest we forget, Google is still out there. No matter who wins in the race to be #3 in the smartphone market Google is out there supplying its Android operating system to multiple players. The tactic of being the providing instead of the manufacturer is a good one for the search company in that it positions itself to take advantage and profit no matter which one comes out on top. Sure, if in five years only Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Microsoft are standing Google will be sucking wind, but I don’t expect that to happen. Google is a good investment for a number of reasons, and the smartphone operating system market is just one of them.

The article The Fight to Be #3 in Smartphones originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Nate Wooley.

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