Samsung’s New Phone Isn’t Just a Shot at Apple Inc. (AAPL): Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK), NIKE, Inc. (NKE)

Rosetta Stone succeeds in getting language learners to pay up for intensive courses, but some may argue that it won’t be necessary when the S4 can do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be challenged by the S4’s new features, but the timing of the announcement couldn’t have been worse for BlackBerry.

Samsung’s event was slated just as BlackBerry’s two largest U.S. carriers began to take preorders for the new Z10 device that runs on the BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system. The smarpthone pioneer’s new platform drew some critical praise, but it’s not the Swiss Army Knife of smartphones that the S4 is shaping itself up to be.

Diehard BlackBerry fans are going to get the Z10 when it becomes available domestically, but those straddling the fence about buying now or waiting until a likely summertime release for Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s next iPhone now have an even more current reason to reconsider with the S4 April rollout.

Beyond Nike, Rosetta Stone, and BlackBerry
The Galaxy S4 is a clear challenge to Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), but it’s not the only target.

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE), Rosetta Stone, and BlackBerry aren’t the only additional targets, either.

The new 13-megapixel camera will make it even harder for the makers of digital cameras to stand out. Smartphones no longer take crummy pictures, and Samsung’s upping the quality. New photo and video features will make it harder for the makers of content authoring programs.

Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) also can’t be happy.

The Finland-based handset giant was starting to gain traction with its Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone. The nifty camera turned heads, and even though developer support for Windows Phone isn’t as solid as Android and iOS, it’s a better situation than BlackBerry is initially finding with BlackBerry 10.

The new S4 becomes the top alternative to the iPhone. Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) and BlackBerry will be back to nibbling at the fringes of the market.

Samsung’s new phone is taking shots at everybody.

The article Samsung’s New Phone Isn’t Just a Shot at Apple originally appeared on Fool.com.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple, Nike, and Rosetta Stone.

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