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Nokia acquired by Microsoft

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Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#471

Post by ZeroGravitas »

rsynnott wrote: post #457
ZeroGravitas wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Samsung's line of Android devices became more profitable than Apple's iPhones at some point during, or just before this quarter (it's a bit vague because it's all based on estimates but it's basically happened already, we'll get the analyst estimates based on corporate announcements about a month after the end of the quarter). Some would consider that "making a killing".

This was based on the Strategy Analytics report? That was a little dubious, as it was based on saying that (a) half of Apple's profits are from the iPhone and (b) Samsung makes no profit on its desktop, laptop or tablet divisions at all. There was also some confusion over net vs gross.

If you don't like that report you can check out two others that are provided by sources that most would describe as "rabidly pro-Apple". The trend is pretty clear and has been for a while so I'm not sure why everyone seems so suprised by this. Though given Apple's yearly cycle which has a slump in Q3 and a big spike in Q4 they may briefly reclaim the crown in Q4 if their next launch does well.

Strategy Analytics: http://bgr.com/2013/07/26/samsung-smartphone-profits-q2-2013...

Canaccord Genuity: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/07/31/apple-takes-53-of-...

Asymco: http://www.asymco.com/2013/08/21/amp-index-update/

They're all for the quarter that ended two months ago and say (Samsung-Apple) 53%-47%, 50-53% and 43%-57% respectively and they were all at more like 15-80% two years ago.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#472

Post by ikt »

rodolphoarruda wrote: post #448
rthomas6 wrote: post #423

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it has an SD card slot, you can fix this problem by rooting the phone and installing a custom ROM that lets you force apps to be stored to the card. That's what I would do. In the process you would even get to have a 4.1 or so version of Android.

> installing a custom ROM that lets you force apps to be stored to the card I almost tried that, but stopped when I read in the custom ROM page that in some cases it could brick the phone. Since my phone is a "branched" version of the standard Ace I decided not to take the risk.

yes, firmware upgrading has a chance it will brick the phone. That didn't stop me doing it 10 times, after the nerves of the 1st time go away it's easy.

What do you mean "branched" version of Ace? nothing comes up on google :s

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#473

Post by likeclockwork »

gnaffle wrote: post #283
cageface wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps, but the difference here is that Macs are still better machines in most respects. Macs endure as a niche product because they're higher quality products. Premium Android phones, on the other hand, provide a user experience that a lot of people consider superior.

Actually, it's very similar to the laptop market. A lot of people prefer Windows or Linux on Lenovo laptops, because they have some features that Macs don't have. Likewise, if you compare the hardware (build quality etc) I think most people would agree that Apple still is has the best devices compared to Samsung, which still uses the same plastic frame even on high end phones.

I'm not sure that "plastic" is as bad as popular opinion thinks it is in the case of something the size of a phone.

If we say "polymer" does it sound any better? I mean there's plastic.. and then there's plastic.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#474

Post by mongol »

mrweasel wrote: post #466
AndrewDucker wrote: post #446

What does this mean for Nokia's remaining feature-phone business? I was under the impression that there was still a global market for people wanting cheap, low-function, phones.

I was thinking the same thing. What is Microsoft going to do with that part of the business, that's the part that's doing well. Nokias feature phones are still huge in Africa and large parts of Asia. If Microsoft is just going to ignore that part of the business, then they are opening the marked for the competitors. If they just bought Nokia for their smartphone, then they are making a giant mistake.

I think they will operate it as long as it runs a decent profit.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#475

Post by rayiner »

Ygg2 wrote: post #311
zuppy wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really, users don't care about open source. Users care about apps and services. Most developers care about the platform with more users that are willing to spend money on apps and services. I'm not saying that there are no open source fans, just that this is not what brings the food on your plate at the end of the month.

I think grandparent meant that users win out because open source almost guarantees that software stack will survive any hardships that mother company might not survive, as well as extra competition from open source alternatives.

Who cares about that when it comes to phones, though?

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#476

Post by WildUtah »

shubb wrote: post #451
simba-hiiipower wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah, in one of their releases they specifically mention the transaction will be completed using offshore funds. and while i'd generally like to see some movement on policy to encourage large us-based multinationals to bring-home more of their offshore earnings (for reinvestment domestically), the current environment does play-out nicely for foreign m&a - which is at-least (in my opinion) a better use of funds than d…

Money from work and sales outside the US should be repatriated and invested domestically, just because the company is notionally based in the US? Sounds a tad imperialistic? I think getting companies pay tax in the US for sales in the US would be less internationally antisocial...

Remember that no other developed country besides the USA requires that local companies pay local tax again on foreign profits already taxed where they are earned. Most nations recognize that that would make investing locally costly and undesirable. It would also put local companies at a competitive disadvantage worldwide.

The politics of government greed in the USA has created a tax system where the USA government charges the highest business tax rates in the world and enforces punitive triple taxation of foreign profits. That's why USA companies are keeping their money abroad instead of investing in jobs at home. (The USA tax rate was second in the world until a recent Japanese reform, but Japan never triple taxed profits abroad, so the Japanese rate was always effectively lower.)

Corporate taxation is one of the few tax issues where Congressional Republicans are often more sensible than Democrats, from a purely technical tax policy perspective. Obama is willing to work with them, too, but nothing seems to get done. It's one small part of the ongoing failure of Washington.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#477

Post by freehunter »

Samuel_Michon wrote: post #461
freehunter wrote: post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A ruling that is very controversial. The browser ballot was enforced based on the idea that Microsoft had a dominant share of the market, which this very thread goes out of its way to disprove. The EU decision was a cash grab, nothing more. Microsoft has no market dominance, and other more dominant players aren't forced to live by the same rules. If Android has 80% market share, why isn't Google forced to present a c…

Microsoft has been convicted multiple times for abusing its market position. As a repeat offender, different rules apply for it. That’s why Microsoft isn’t allowed to live anywhere near a school or playground.

Apple has been convicted of patent infringement multiple times and was recently convicted of abusing their market position to commit unfair trade practices. Yet no one breathes Apple and anti-trust in the same sentence.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#478

Post by capkutay »

pedalpete wrote: post #66
capkutay wrote: post #35

Wow. So he kept nokia stagnant while samsung and apple exploded in the smartphone market and now he gets to be CEO of another company thats been stagnant for years(he was already passed up for being CEO at MSFT before he left to nokia). I guess microsoft's strategy is to keep chasing after the devices market.

I'm not sure what world your on. Elop would not have been in the running as CEO of Microsoft. I don't believe he would have had enough experience at that time. Was there anybody other than Ballmer and ray Ozzie epwho would have been considered. He's actually brought Nokia back from the brink and kept a sinking ship somewhat afloat, in my opinion. At the same time, I don't think he is enough of a visionary to lead Mic…

Ok well...MSFT could either choose to focus on enterprise or pick up Nokia and their CEO as a pat on the back for only losing 25% of its value every year. This plan seems more like a hail mary to catch up to apple. It could pay off but its certainly the riskiest and least logical route. I think there's significant room for innovation and profit in enterprise tech right now and much more room for failure in mobile.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#479

Post by freehunter »

WildUtah wrote: post #476
shubb wrote: post #451

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Money from work and sales outside the US should be repatriated and invested domestically, just because the company is notionally based in the US? Sounds a tad imperialistic? I think getting companies pay tax in the US for sales in the US would be less internationally antisocial...

Remember that no other developed country besides the USA requires that local companies pay local tax again on foreign profits already taxed where they are earned. Most nations recognize that that would make investing locally costly and undesirable. It would also put local companies at a competitive disadvantage worldwide. The politics of government greed in the USA has created a tax system where the USA government ch…

And god forbid you're a US citizen living and working overseas. You still have to fill out US tax forms for both state and federal tax. The federal government won't charge taxes on anything under ~$90,000, but the states sure will expect you to pay your share of their taxes, even though none of that money was earned or spent in the US.
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