Also: Nokia and Microsoft's first handsets coming soon; Amazon heats up more Fires; Android owners clamor for iPhone 5; RIM plans a Canadian re-debut
The verdict in the Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) versus Samsung Corp. case in the U.S. may rest in the hands of the jury now, but the lines have been drawn in South Korea.
A Seoul court ruled Friday that both companies infringed on the other's patents and must both pay damages, as well as stop selling some smartphones and tablets (the iPhone 4S, latest iPad and Galaxy S III excluded) in South Korea. The court said Apple violated two Samsung patents related to mobile-data transfer, while Samsung infringed on one Apple patent related to the touch screen.
The real winner and loser may be decided in the U.S., where a trial has been going on since June 30. The jury is currently in deliberation. Apple is seeking $2.5 billion to $2.75 billion in damages, while Samsung wants up to $421.8 million in royalties from its biggest competitor.
In other mobile OS news:
Nokia plans two AT&T devices: More unconfirmed details have leaked out ahead of Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT)'s Sept. 5 event to unveil their first Windows 8 collaborations. The Verge reports that the pair will unveil two new smartphones, an AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) exclusive Nokia Phi hero device, which will be the Lumia 900's successor, and the Nokia Arrow, a mid-range smartphone for both AT&T and T-Mobile US Inc. . A variant of the Arrow, the Atlas, is expected to be announced for Verizon Wireless at a later date. (See Microsoft Sets a Windows 8 Timeline.)
Amazon lights more Fires: A week of launches will follow this month of rumors. On Sept. 6, Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) is holding an event in Santa Monica presumably to launch its next Fire tablets, based on the Android OS. The Boy Genius Report says it has confirmed that two Fire tablets will be launched, a seven-inch version and a 10-inch version. (See Rumor: Amazon Firing Up 7-Inch Tablet Market? )
Android owners catch iPhone fever: Apple fanboys aren't the only ones clamoring for the next iPhone. A new survey from Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. suggests that Android phone owners may be as well. Analyst William Power surveyed 2,000 people, of whom 39 percent are eligible for an upgrade and another 6 percent will be within three months. Of those, 45 percent plan to purchase an iPhone, 31 percent were undecided and only 22 percent plan to buy an Android phone. Of current Android owners, 34 percent were undecided and 17 percent said they plan to purchase an iPhone. Power interprets those numbers to mean that more than 50 million people may buy the next iPhone in the U.S. alone.
RIM starts with familiar faces: BlackBerry 's first operator partners to support its comeback will be hometown friends Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. (NYSE: RCN; Toronto: RCM) and BCE Inc. (Bell Canada) (NYSE/Toronto: BCE), both of which were the first to carry its original BlackBerrys as well. The companies are meeting this week, the head of RIM's Canadian operators tells Bloomberg, but he wouldn’t confirm when the BlackBerry maker would head over to the States. (See RIM Hopes BB10 Roadshow Will Wow Carriers .)
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile
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