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iPhone Keeps Research in Motion on Its Toes

If Apple opens up the iPhone platform to other carriers, RIM could collapse overnight. Of course, RIM would still have the corporate businesses by the balls for a short while until employees start actively demanding they get iPhones even against IT's protestations.

Depending upon how much money Chinese handset users are willing to spend on data fees, the iPhone/China Unicom connection could leave the Chinese in love with the iPhone and not even considering buying BlackBerrys.

Let's face it, developers want to work on the iPhone and if Apple let's them get their way, there won't be any application that can't be built for the iPhone platform. Business or game apps. And remember the iPhone is still an iPod that has plenty of content delivery from iTMS.

Steve Jobs' Return: What Does It Mean for Apple and RIM Stock?

What's bad for Apple lifts RIM's share price and what's good for Apple lifts RIM's share price. RIM has a win-win situation going for it with only one retail store and two CEO's.

It doesn't matter how much reserve cash Apple has, how many retail stores opening, how much deferred revenue the iPhone pulls in or how many tens of thousands of apps in the App Store. RIM goes up higher each day seemingly buoyed by loyal investors that believe in a company loved by the enterprise is a better investment than a company that is considered an over-priced toy company.

I'm fairly certain that even if Apple were to strike a lucrative deal for selling iPhones in China through China Unicom, RIM's share price would go up even higher.

I'm only saying this is how it seems because, otherwise, I don't know what is constantly driving RIM's share price up faster percentage-wise than Apple's share price.

That being said, I own stock in both companies but many more times the amount in Apple than RIM.

Is Apple the Beacon of Light In This Dreary Recession?

Apple's stock is hardly a beacon of light in these troubled times. It's more like trying to see light of a penlight flashlight in the dead center of a black hole. Google will probably shine like a supernova as soon as the economy turns around.

I'm long Apple since 2004, but this wonder stock has lost it's luster and very unlikely to return to it's former shine any time soon regardless its reserve cash or incoming revenue.

Sector Overview: Handsets

That's right! Nokia blows...

If Nokia continues to copy the iPhone long enough they may eventually come out with something close to an iPhone killer. Maybe one that's a bit thinner than the present brick they're trying to pass off an iPhone contender. Nokia makes some gorgeous handsets, but they should stick to cramming in as many hardware features as possible and label it a wonderfully full featured handset. Just stay away from saying it's as good as an iPhone.
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Nokia Gets No Respect Against Apple, RIM

Nokia's N95/N96 series handsets certainly have better hardware than the iPhone, no doubt about it. Still, there were many music players that had better hardware than the iPod, but it wasn't enough to gain much market share. Apple's iTMS probably has a lot to do with it. Plus the retail stores where you can go in and play with all their products. And Apple's customer support is very good, too. It's going to be the same way with iPhones.
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I'm not entirely happy that iPhones lack many hardware bells and whistles because I'd also like things such as full-motion video and a higher resolution camera with flash. It's great to have an microSD slot to boost memory.
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The iPhone doesn't have these things yet in the end the iPhone will outsell the top-of-the-line Nokia with the greatest of ease which is understandable due to the N95's high cost. The iPhone has the whole Apple ecosystem to feed demand to sell more and more iPhones. We just have to wait for Apple to finish the OSX Mobile framework and then the iPhone will be nearly untouchable.
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If Apple wants to it could easily afford to build iPhones with the best hardware money can buy, but I think that's down the road a bit. Apple has already bitten off more than it can chew for now, so they just need to concentrate on improving the software and helping developers to build better iPhone apps. By the end of 2010 Apple should have the smartphone market lead with about 60 million iPhones throughout the world. That's no small feat for a company that had no handset experience until a bit over a year ago.
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It's hard to understand why the media rags on Apple so much because of a few growing pains. Sure, the iPhone is far from perfect yet I doubt if there are a lot of iPhone returns. Very few new ventures have ever started out as well as the iPhone has. I don't see why the media can't appreciate that fact.

I'm sure the Nokia N96 and the BlackBerry Bold are very capable handsets than many people would be happy to own. If so many potential smartphone users are choosing iPhones instead then there must be something about the iPhone that is attracting buyers that the other handset manufacturers just don't offer.

Apple: Great Company with Lofty Valuation - Due for Pullback

If Apple is overvalued, then what do you think about RIM? That company also has a high valuation. It's starting to sell the Bold and soon the Thunder. Apple should sell far more iPhones than RIM can sell Bolds. RIM has been up as high as $148 a share this year. Is it worth that much?