War between Apple and Samsung: Whose Gain, Whose Loss?

The long fought war between Apple and Samsung, while reaching its peak last year, still continue to reverberate in the technology world of today. This battle between the two current leading companies of smart phones has been raging over the protection of design patents, especially for Apple. While on August 2012, Samsung was inflicted by the jury to pay a high price for its improvisation or adoption of key features often found in Apple, apart from the monetary loss and gain that occurred for both parties many other consequences have resulted ever since. In this regard varying viewpoints have been raised by either of the two companies as well as other smartphone manufacturers and their users.

Whose loss?

Speaking in monetary terms, in 2012 Samsung suffered a huge loss while the court decided in favor of Apple and their demand to protect their patented design and features. Such an attempt on part of Apple seemed to many, and especially Samsung representatives, as ending any sort of competition amongst the smartphone manufacturers. Samsung representatives, went to the extent of calling this loss of theirs as a loss for consumers who are now left with less innovation in the smartphones they choose, lesser competition and hence a subjugation to higher prices. This war for patented design also led to a loss for Google, while its name wasn’t mentioned in courts. For other smartphone manufacturers a possible solution would now be to strike up licensing deals with Apple. This may come as a bad news for Android users, for when they already have to pay a license fee to Microsoft, an additional cost of fees to Apple may now be part of the package for various features.

While Samsung calls it a loss for smartphone consumers, the decision in favor of Apple has been considered as creating a public perception that remains in favor of Apple. Despite this the market completion amongst the two smartphone manufacturing giants stands still. Nevertheless Samsung creators are forced back to reconsider the designs they have employed and come up with new approaches to features, that we as customers often tend to take for granted, for example the scrolling rubber effect and the pinch and zoom effect as found in iPhone.

Possible positive outcomes

While in the short run this war seems to have inflicted damage on Samsung and as per them on the consumer community, some positive outcomes are also anticipated. Rethinking design of their key features, many smartphone companies including Samsung may as well come up with better innovative and most importantly unique designs. This being done keeping in mind the respect for protection of patented designs will be a crucial step that would discourage manufacturers that solely rely on improvisation of other designs to gain a market place. Even better competition among manufacturers and smartphone brands may as well be achieved with more unique designs reaching the end market.

As always has been the trend in competitive markets, many views Apple’s attempt in filing for the protection of its patented design as perhaps a desperate attempt to save its consumer base and ending any competition. Whoever’s victory there is in this legal war, the stage is now set for competitive and creative ideas to flow in the smartphone industry and a market competition that continues to grow.

Samsung, where it may deactivate some of its features or may as well have to ban some of its models, continues to be Apple’s biggest competitor nowadays. The tough competition arises from the fact that Samsung offers a wide variety and range of models and products while Apple caters to a specific range of consumers with its two main products being the iPhone and the iPad. Greater variety in its product base also simultaneously allows Samsung to allow for more innovation; a task that is increasingly necessary for them now.

This guest post is contributed by Muhammad Azam who is a blogger and writer. Follow his post on Tumblr and WordPress.