TeliaSonera says Apple and Google too powerful

Swedish carrier TeliaSonera said it was concerned that Apple and Google were developing a duopoly in the smartphone space [reg. required]. While CEO Lars Nyberg was glad Android and the iPhone were driving the adoption of smartphone plans, he was nervous that rivals would wither away and let the two companies dictate the market. The executive didn't tell the Financial Times his exact concerns but was worried the two might get too much leverage.

"As a customer of theirs, I'm interested in having other competitors and not having one or two dominate [the field]," he said.

The telecom leader also suggested a level of regional pride was at stake and hoped that Nordic companies like Sony Ericsson and Nokia would regain a foothold. Nokia was shrinking fast, but Nyberg "would not count them out" at the company. He expected a concerned defense soon but didn't have an immediate theory as to what Nokia would do to hold off Apple and Google.

Most of the decline of Nokia, and to a lesser extent RIM, has been blamed on the companies clinging to outdated operating systems or not willing to push third-party apps and their overall platforms as quickly as their American counterparts. In the near future, Nokia's fate is uncertain as it may have delayed a MeeGo phone and doesn't have a clear path for how or if it could improve Symbian. RIM is moving faster and should have a more modern OS and new hardware this year, but both come after years of mostly overlooking home users in favor of business.

By Electronista Staff