This case study analyzes Apple Inc. and its competitive advantages in the PC and smartphone industries. Apple differentiates itself through innovation and design. It has a brand halo effect from the iPod that carries over to its PCs. However, Apple faces threats from new technologies and competition from companies like Google and Samsung. The document compares Apple and Samsung from ethical and customer perspectives on their patent infringement disputes.

1. Case study: APPLE INC.
PGPM + MBA (UoM)
BY:
Aatmiki Singh
Sushil Kumar Gupta
Sushminder Singh
Shivam Dubey

2. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
• Design and Innovation Oriented
• Greater horizontal & vertical integration
• Designing from scratch to finish bundled with
application and peripherals.
• “Plug & play” solutions
• R&D oriented
• Ease of use

3. PC INDUSTRY: SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths:
Brand awareness/ Halo Weaknesses: Heavy invest in
effect from i-pod to PC, Research, Not a lean Operation
Product Differentiation, Management, Not Completely
Complete package of Independent
Hardware & Software
Opportunities: Taking
Threats: New Technology,
Microsoft head-on with its
Volatile Customers,
image, Taking advantage of
Competition-Google, Low
the MAC-OS, The i-pod-i-tunes
market share
combo

4. SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE POSITION
• Differentiated itself from • US Market Share
innovation and design.
• Should adapt and offer
new service to keep itself
one-up from competition.
• As, Innovation plays a
dominant role in the
competitive dynamics,
here Apple is able to
leverage its skills.

5. SMARTPHONE MARKET SHARE
Platform 2006 2007 2008
Symbian 67% 63.5% 52.4%
Windows 14% 12.2% 11.8%
Blackberry 7% 9.6% 16.6%
i-Phone - 2.7% 8.2%
Source: Canalys (2007), Gartner (2009)

6. APPLE VS SAMSUNG
ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE CUSTOMER`S PERSPECTIVE
• 8 Patent infringement • Pricing and Features of
• Code of business Samsung
conduct to all its • Design, Status and
operation including Convenience of Apple
those overseas • Emotions > Logic for
• Intellectual Property Customers