Apple failed to convince a U.S. judge to block Samsung Electronics from selling some Galaxy smartphones and tablets in the United States market. The rejection will deprive the iPhone and iPad maker of crucial leverage in a global patent battle between the two companies.

Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung was rejected by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose in a ruling released late Friday.

Apple sued Samsung in the United States in April remarketing the Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets of the South Korean company “slavishly” copies the iPhone and iPad.

“It is not clear that an injunction on Samsung’s accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed,” Koh wrote.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846.

Tags: Apple, Galaxy smartphones, iPad, iPhone, Samsung Electronics

Apple Inc stunned Wall Street by reporting results that missed expectations for the first time in years. The company blamed rumors of the new iPhone for hurting demand in the September quarter.

Shares of Apple fell 7 percent in extended trading on Tuesday to wipe some $27 billion off the value of the world’s largest technology company.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

It was Apple’s first quarterly earnings under Chief Executive Tim Cook, who took over from Steve Jobs in August at a critical juncture for the company. Apple is battling Google Inc in the mobile arena, as well as other challengers such as Samsung and Amazon.com Inc.

“Investors are going to start to speculate that there is change under way now that Jobs is gone, and that there’s trouble ahead. We don’t share that point,” said Channing Smith, co-manager at Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which holds Apple shares.

“The iPhone is where the weakness was and it’s an explainable one. The strong demand for the iPhone 4S set up strong demand for the holiday season,” Smith added.

Tags: Apple, iPhone, technology company, Wall Street

After Amazon.com launched its Kindle Fire at a mass market-friendly $199, Asian technology companies came under pressure on Thursday to slash prices of their tablet computers.

Major Asian tablet makers, from Samsung Electronics to Sony Corp, have ambitious plans to take on Apple but none of them have however been able to gain any significant market share from Apple.

From in.finance.yahoo.com:

So far, Samsung has been seen as the most credible challenger to the iPad and some analysts suggest it could lose its No. 2 position to the eagerly anticipated Fire.

The South Korean company’s tablet marketing campaign has also stumbled in recent months due to Apple’s legal attempts to ban Samsung’s tablet sales in Australia, the United States and Germany, over patent infringement, among other claims.

The Kindle Fire, while lacking many of the high-tech bells and whistles common on tablets from cameras to 3G wireless connection, may sound the death knell for a raft of devices based on Google Inc’s Android operating system.

“Amazon’s retail-based business model allows the company to subsidize the device on the premise that consumers will buy more from Amazon, be that physical goods or its digital content,” said Adam Leach, an analyst at research firm Ovum.

Tags: Amazon, Apple, Kindle Fire, marketing campaign, tablet computers

Four new smartphone models have been unveiled by Samsung Electronics under its flagship Galaxy line on Wednesday. With this, the company has expanded its offerings of cheaper phones to tap growth in emerging markets.

The move also signals an intensifying battle with Samsung’s biggest competitor and customer, Apple, according to sources.

From in.finance.yahoo.com:

“Smartphone makers are increasingly moving down the value chain to target the low-end segment and attract mass customers, especially those in China and India,” said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities.

“It’s an inevitable trend but will at the same time lower margins. Only a handful of top-tier manufacturers can survive in that end.”

Samsung forecast on Wednesday cheap models costing below $200 would account for more than half the overall smartphone market by 2015 in volume terms, up sharply from last year’s 16 percent.

“Samsung seeks to expand market share in the emerging market with models costing around $200, as those markets have lower smartphone penetration rates compared with advanced markets,” a Samsung group spokeswoman quoted an executive from Samsung Electronics’ mobile division.

Tags: Apple, emerging markets, Samsung, smartphone

The ongoing tussle between the Indian government and maker of BlackBerry phones, Research In Motion (RIM), has adversely affected the sales of BlackBerry communication devices that are considered to be one of the most admired fashion accessories by the Indian corporate executives.

It is worthwhile to note here that some of grey market dealers in Mumbai have already stopped ordering fresh stock of BlackBerry models till RIM sorts out the issue with the government.

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

“After I exhausted my stock, I decided to wait till we get a better idea of what is going to happen with BlackBerry in India,” a grey market dealer in Mumbai’s Fort area said. A few other unofficial dealers promised to source required models, provided a deposit was made for the device. “Our margins are pretty thin on such goods, and I don’t want hassles that might arise at a later date if the government’s decision goes against RIM,” a shopowner explained.

BlackBerry sales have similarly seen a dip in Bangalore. “I sold 35 handsets in July, but this month I haven’t been able to sell more than 15,” said a dealer on Brigade Road. A shopkeeper in Dubai Plaza echoed his words, saying he had sold 60 handsets in July, but only 10 in August. “People want to wait till the August 31 deadline and then decide,” he said. But someone’s loss is always someone else’s gain, and other brands such as Nokia, Samsung and Apple are benefiting from the decline in Blackberry sales.

Currently, there are an estimated 1.1 million BlackBerry users in India.

Tags: Apple, BlackBerry, BlackBerry communication, BlackBerry in India, BlackBerry sales, Nokia, Research In Motion, Samsung

Apple, America’s largest music retailer is reportedly under scrutiny over its marketing tactics for its iTunes music store from the Justice Department.

Apple is the biggest name in the world of music sales in the United States and responsible for approximately 70 percent of online music sold in the country.

From Kyw1060.com:

America’s largest music retailer is reportedly under scrutiny from the Justice Department over its marketing tactics for its iTunes music store.

Apple is the biggest player in American music sales, responsible for about 70 percent of online music sold in this country. It’s how it got there that has federal investigators asking questions of its competitors.

The New York Times and CNet, which is owned by CBS, are reporting that antitrust investigators are asking questions about Apple’s alleged refusal to let rival Amazon.com offer exclusive access to some tracks a day before their wide release. A report from Billboard Magazine earlier this spring suggested the Apple would respond by not promoting those tracks on iTunes.

Investigations by the Justice Department are said to be in their early phases.

Tags: Apple, marketing, marketing tactics