Apple Inc. (AAPL) Quick Hits: High-Profile Patent Infringement, Exclusive Service & More

Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple Inc. patent wins could mean US import ban for Samsung phones (MumbaiMirror)
Some older Samsung Electronics Co. mobile devices face a sales and import ban in the United States after a US trade panel ruled for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in a high-profile patent infringement case. The US International Trade Commission on Friday ruled that South Korea’s Samsung infringes on portions of two Apple Inc patents on digital mobile devices, covering the detection of headphone jacks and operation of touchscreens. The decision is likely to inflame passions in the long-running dispute and could spark a rebuke from South Korea.

Apple Store Opening in Tokyo (Kioskea)
For the first time since 2005, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plans to open a new retail store in Tokyo. The new store would be located in Tokyo’s upscale Omotesando shopping district and may be open as early as March of 2014. Construction of the Apple store should be completed by February and Apple is already looking for employees to run the store. This will be Apple first outlet in Tokyo in nearly a decade as Japan’s economy has started to recover. “For Apple,” analyst Satoru Kikuchi explained, “the Japanese market is appealing in terms of quantity and price.”

Apple looking to move more iPhones in Russia (IntoMobile)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has a problem with Russia where at the moment interested users cannot grab the iPhone from any carrier. Instead, Apple’s smartphone can only be bought unlocked from Svyaznoy, which is the Cupertino company’s key local distributor and which accounts for about the half of all iPhones sold in the country. Just recently Russia’s third major carrier (Vimpelcom’s Beeline) has quit selling the iPhone, taking on the footsteps of MTS and Megafon. Apparently local carriers can’t meet Apple’s tough demands regarding marketing and subsidizing, so they decided to not sell the iPhone at all.

AppleCare+ Set For Europe Launch, Priced At Under €100? (AppAdvice)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could be planning on launching its AppleCare+ service in Europe soon, according to a recent report from iGen.fr. The website claims that the U.S.-exclusive service is set to become available the other side of the pond, and will set European iDevice owners back just under €100 (plus the per-incident fee, which in the U.S. is $49). However, no further details concerning pricing or availability are revealed by the website.

Baby steps to putting a smartphone on your face (CNBC)