When I think about 2011 (which I am aware has 25 days left) in terms of cellphones and the mobile phone industry, one word does not want to leave my thoughts; Patents. Another thought that comes to mind is acquisitions. I believe that the latter was done by companies such as Google to bolster their patent collections.
Google, I think surprised everyone in the mobile space with their acquisition of Motorola Mobility. At the moment the acquisition is going through the Department of Justice. The process is likely to go through without any major issues in the first Quarter in 2012.
Nokia, who is currently in a downward spiral through a variety of reasons, started the year with the infamous burning platform letter that Stephen Elop wrote to his fellow Nokia staff members. I would like to believe that Nokia is fighting back due to their partnership with Microsoft. The first 6 months of 2012 will dictate Nokia’s fate.
BlackBerry had a year to forget. The Canadian based company must be counting down the days till 1st January 2012. They lost a significant piece of market share and this week announced that they will be taking a $485 hit on their finances due to their BlackBerry PlayBook not delivering the desired sales. They unveiled new products to compliment the Curve and Torch ranges and also acquired QNX (a mobile and tablet operating system) this year to bolster their device offering.
Samsung and Apple have had an “it’s complicated” year through law suits. Patents and copyright violations have made the press on numerous occasions. I suspect that in early 2012 their separation will be announced as Apple have made partnerships to ensure that they are no longer dependant on Samsung to supply them with LCD screens and flash memory.
The Dark horse this year in mobile has been HTC. They have been the subject of one legal battle (Apple) and have launched a variety of popular devices. Their partnership with Beats by Dre has the potential in 2012 to add a lot value to their offering.
PriceCheck has brought you the Mall in your pocket through our Web Icon’s for BlackBerry, Android and iOS devices. I don’t think there is anything more powerful as a shopper in a store (yes, the brick and mortar type) than being able to compare prices using the various PriceCheck Web Icons.
Will 2012 be the year of the iPhone 5 or a variety of acquisitions?
