What’s Next For Apple Inc. (AAPL)?

Threats

Possibly, Apple’s biggest threat is Google’s successful Android OS and more specifically, Samsung. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s OS has turned around the smartphones industry, with several manufacturers using the Android OS. Samsung uses the OS in different versions of its Galaxy smartphones, with the S4 being one of the hottest smartphones of the year.

Apple doesn’t only face threats from Samsung, but companies like Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) and LG have also improved in recent years. Sony’s Xperia Z smartphone is definitely competitive and the company looks set to improve its market share by the end of 2013.

Aside from Android, the Windows 8 Phone OS has also seen an improvement in market share, where Nokia still dominates.. The Lumia series has been performing at its peak and Apple will need to watch out for the improving Windows 8 OS. BlackBerry, while still struggling, is still seen as a threat as it gives an alternative to consumers who have had enough of Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android OS.

Conclusion

The smartphones industry is as competitive as ever, with Apple being one of the company’s you should closely monitor. The company has been on a downfall after hitting the $700 mark last year; however, ignoring Apple’s chances of a turnover is not fair. The company is too big to fade away in the industry and there is a lot to be optimistic about Apple in the future. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s upcoming strategies and decisions will be crucial in order to determine whether the company is heading in the right direction.

Nokia and BlackBerry, on the other hand, are still somewhat struggling with poor market share. However, both companies entered 2013 with high spirits and offerings from both the companies have a lot of potential. If the Windows 8 Phone OS continues to pick up pace, then Nokia will definitely gain market share while BlackBerry will rely on its old customer base and has based its future on the BB10 platform, which has been looking promising.

The article What’s Next For Apple? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Yasir Idrees.

Yasir Idrees has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Yasir is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

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