Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) are tow companies that seem to be positioned to avoid the collateral damage from the courtroom win by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. While such a landmark, watershed decision had its share of collateral damage – notably, Samsung’s likely diminished market share as well as the reach of the Android operating system by Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG).
But besides Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), there is collateral benefit from this decision in that it may open the door for a revival by Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) and an expanded smartphone presence for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) as the two companies prepare to unveil the new Windows Phone 8 operating system’s on Nokia’s new Lumia handsets. The majority of Windows Phone handsets int he market are Nokia’s (about 60 percent), but Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has only about 5 percent of the smartphone market – though that share has grown by about 300 percent in one year.
With Samsung taking a large financial hit in the patent trial – and possibly a future hit, as Judge Lucy Koh is due to rule next month on a possible ban on U.S. sales of Samsung devices that infringed on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) patents – and a huge strike against the biggest hardware partner for Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and its Android operating system, there seems to be a clear opportunity to fill the presumptive void that may exist alongside Apple in the smartphone market. Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) is banking its future on the success of Windows Phone 8 by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and has been a loyal partner for more than a year. With the presence of Android likely to diminish this fall, those who aren’t loyal to Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) or Samsung will likely be looking for another option in a s smartphone.
Not only that, but Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) may now be looked at by other current Android partners, like HTC, as a potential new destination for smartphone hardware. You see, there may be other Android partners who may not want to face a lawsuit challenge from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), so they may look to Windows Phone as their opportunity to stay in the marketplace and compete with Apple outside of the courtroom.
Suddenly, a single court case might just change the entire landscape of smartphones. Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) now seem to be in a position to benefit the most from a court case in which they had no role, no witnesses, no lawyers, no motions and no dog in the fight. These two companies will be the new ones to watch over the next six months as the new season of smartphone launches heats up.
