Apple Has Outright Ownership of Nortel's LTE (4G) Patents?

Let's not forget, if Apple hadn't developed the iPhone - for years in secrecy, this form factor phone wouldn't exist. If Apple hadn't done the same with the iPad, tablets wouldn't exist.

Samsung, etc, wouldn't know what to do. There'd be nothing to copy.

It's interesting to me how rapidly Apple has advanced in the phone business.

Four years ago it entered what was called the upper part of the phone market with aspirations of capturing 5%. They had no patents relating to phones per sec. just some UI patents.

Within that first year Apple became the phone to own, and they were only on one network in one country. Now, Apple is greater then 5% worldwide, and a third of the USA market for smart phones. The iPhone 4 and 3GS are the number one and two selling phones, and now Apple owns a portfolio of important communications patents other manufacturers would love to have.

I cannot think of a similar market that has been so rapidly transformed by a new player as the smart phone market. Maybe the tablet market, but nothing else comes to mind.

Have you ever used a Samsung Galaxy S2? In case you do, don't be surprised when you sell your iPhone and switch to the Galaxy -- I did. Not only the hardware of the Galaxy is superior to Apple's hardware, the software is also better in every aspect - and unlike iOS, Android does NOT try to restrict the user whenever and wherever possible.

Apple has lost the leadership and no longer has the better products; iOS 5 and iCloud are "me too" designs that basically only implement features that Android has had for a long time now. Since being good is not sufficient when somebody else is better, Apple is now trying pathetic legal games to regain the pole position.

I actually do enjoy android, but the galaxy phones are very similar spec wise to iphones, typically using the same cpu, just different branding.

Jailbreaking also unrestircts apples walls which makes iOS actually usable.... but android is just as hampered. phones are still being released with fryo when there has already been two other versions of android released and ice cream announced.

^^ so you think companies should sit back and let their competitors buy the patent set????

That would be a terrible business decision. All of their competitors were bidding on them for the same reasons, would have been stupid to pass on trying to obtain these patents.

I wonder if Apple would actually make other manufacturers license LTE. I'm not sure how good that would be.

Not Apple's style to do that. This strikes me as a defensive purchase. This is how it would go:

Competitor: "Aha! Pay up, Apple. We own these patents that cover the iPhone!"

Apple: "Don't think so. We own the LTE patents. Nice LTE phone you have there, shame if anything were to happen to it."

Competitor: "Never mind."

Have you ever used a Samsung Galaxy S2? In case you do, don't be surprised when you sell your iPhone and switch to the Galaxy -- I did. Not only the hardware of the Galaxy is superior to Apple's hardware, the software is also better in every aspect - and unlike iOS, Android does NOT try to restrict the user whenever and wherever possible.

Apple has lost the leadership and no longer has the better products; iOS 5 and iCloud are "me too" designs that basically only implement features that Android has had for a long time now. Since being good is not sufficient when somebody else is better, Apple is now trying pathetic legal games to regain the pole position.

Samsung makes cheap crap. The vibrant was the worst phone ever. Al they do is copy apple and then make a POS.