Does Apple Inc. (AAPL) Care if BlackBerry Fails?

Another area of impact is with the wireless carriers. Under the duopoly model, subsidies have remained high, and control has rested largely with the manufactures . If the market is opened up into a three-way battle, the interplay with the carriers has the potential to change significantly .

Lastly, pertaining more specifically to Google is the fact that if Nokia becomes the definitive third player in the market, it may be better positioned to take on the cheap end of the smartphone market that Android thoroughly controls. While rumors continue to swirl about a cheap iPhone , Google owns this market segment for now. If Nokia, for example, can gain enough credibility to focus on competing up, the entire market dynamic may change.

Why Apple and Google ultimately won’t care
Over the longer term, it should make very little difference to either Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) or Google who they have to compete with in the number three spot. There was little chance that the smartphone market was going to remain a duopoly forever. The fact is, by Apple’s own admission, that China is becoming an increasingly significant driver of growth, and new players are entering the market from that part of the world means that things are in a state of significant fluctuation.

If either Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) or Google care about BlackBerry’s demise — which is far from being a forgone conclusion at this point — it will be as an object lesson. BlackBerry once owned the market and fell out of favor for failing to keep up with developments in technology. The company is a cautionary tale of how to kill the golden goose.

The investment framework
The market was clearly displeased with the latest delays from BlackBerry in releasing the new Z10 in the U.S., and they showed that displeasure by driving down the stock on the announcement. I see little impact to either Apple or Google from the BlackBerry news, but Nokia definitely stands to benefit. If you’re looking for a catalyst from the news, Nokia continues to look like the best bet at current levels.

The article Does Apple Care if BlackBerry Fails? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Doug Ehrman.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google.

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