The Next Big Threat to Apple Inc. (AAPL) Arrives in Less Than a Month

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Combined, the two vendors gobbled up an incredible 103% of the smartphone industry’s operating profits in 2012, according to estimates from Canaccord Genuity. That figure exceeds 100% only because of operating losses at rivals like Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) BlackBerryNokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), and Google’s Motorola, which weigh on the overall sector.

The best defense is a new iPhone
The Galaxy S IV will turn up the heat on Apple along with other Android OEMs, many of which have fallen on hard times during Samsung’s rise. Even as Samsung has copied Apple to success, the company is not immune to the same strategy. Fellow South Korean OEM LG has just unveiled its Optimus G Pro phablet, which looks almost identical to the Galaxy Note II and also carries a 5.5-inch display.

Hopefully Apple ends up accelerating its product cycle and releases the next iPhone over the summer.

The article The Next Big Threat to Apple Arrives in Less Than a Month originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Evan Niu, CFA.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google.

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