What should Apple do?
The article talks about the ongoing patent battle between Apple and Samsung. Only a few years ago, when Nokia and Blackberry were essentially out of the market, Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft were left in a smartphone war. Since then, Apple has become the leader in the U.S. smartphone market with its famous iPhone series, and Samsung has also enjoyed success in global markets, gaining recognition for technological innovation with its Galaxy series. In the current patent battle, Apple sued Samsung for violating copyright by using rounded corners on its products and by copying its icon designs. However, Samsung countercharged Apple for violating its technical patents and pointed out that other manufacturers began to use rounded corners and similar icons before Apple did. Unfortunately, Apple’s attack on Samsung ultimately triggered a major conflict among all of the other members of the Android family, including Google.
Apple, Google, and Samsung had positive relationships with each other because of their symbiotic relationships (Figure 1); Apple’s iPhone needs Samsung’s microchips and screens as well as Google’s software. Samsung uses Google’s Android and sells high technology products to Apple. However, now that Apple and Samsung built a negative relationship, the triangle is unbalanced; as you can see in Figure 2, two positives and once negative unbalance a relationship. Therefore, according to the Structural Balance Property, Google will eventually become an enemy to Apple because of its relationship with other Android users, especially Samsung (Figure 3). Furthermore, Apple will start a battle with Google itself because of Google’s positive relationships with other smartphone companies.
However, is this the best way for Apple to survive in a fierce war with competitors? Apple can either pick the Figure 1 relationship, which is to keep positive relationships with the Android family, or the Figure 3 relationship, which is to become an enemy to the Android family. We do not yet know what Apple’s true intentions are regarding this legal battle.
