Can Nokia Overthrow Apple’s Reign?

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is preparing for a good fight with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) this holiday season. In a market saturated by smartphones running on Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android and iPhones, Nokia has struggled to retain its edge. But as wireless technologies progress, it seems Nokia’s edge may begin showing up ever so slightly in the form of LTE, the successor of 3G. While the iPhone will have no problem connecting to LTE networks in the U.S., most carriers in Europe use a different frequency for their LTE networks — a frequency to which the iPhone cannot connect.

With 3G networks growing congested and 4G LTE networks touting faster speeds, many smartphone users will want to get on the new network. And Nokia’s new Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia series devices may be just the ticket for tech-savvy holiday shoppers.

Catalysts are critical to discovering winning stocks. Check out our newest CHEAT SHEET stock picks now.

Assuming Nokia bests Apple in the European market this holiday season, it still must face the smartphone powerhouse that is Samsung. Samsung’s new Galaxy S III is shaping up to be one of the most desirable smartphones on the market, and with 4G support in Europe and Google’s popular Android operating system, Nokia has an uphill battle against the Korean company.

The bout of Nokia’s Lumia versus Samsung’s Galaxy may actually turn out to be a battle of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google, as the operating systems will be a key difference between the two contenders. While Android has a steady and massive popularity with a 72 percent global market share last quarter, Microsoft’s smartphone OS sales more than doubled year-on-year, signaling hope for Lumia.

Copyright Wall St Cheat Street All rights reserved.