Apple vs. Motorola: The real slugfest

With good numbers out from Nokia this week (www.nokia.com) and market share at a 38% high, a lot of Wall Streeters are busy buying Nokia and shorting MOT. I’m not saying this is a bad move, but —

Readers of SNS know from a couple of weeks ago that the real move is more likely one of Apple threatening MOT, not Nokia. With Motorola now in third place behind Samsung, the question becomes whether Apple can make its numbers, or better – even as the Street is busy worrying about whether the numbers from the first buying rash were too low.

Regardless of the initial numbers, I think its clear that Apple is now the new kid on the block in the phone industry. If they continue to improve their product (replaceable battery, better network or network partners, here and abroad), there is every reason to think that the work they’ve done on the UI and software tools will continue to pay off in increased share for years to come.

Finally, Apple has an understandable development pathway and strategy for future iPhones which is linked to content distribution and iTunes; MOT has the idea of things getting thinner, which anyone can copy, and has.

I think Apple is Motorola’s greatest threat, and the likelihood is strong that it will take MOT’s place in the market share ladder in the next couple of years.