Skip to main content
Tech Radar
  • Tech Radar Pro
  • Tech Radar Gaming
Tech Radar Pro TechRadar IT Insights for Business
Subscribe
RSS
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
Technology Magazines
(opens in new tab)
Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)
Why subscribe?
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Opinions
  • Website builders
  • Web hosting
  • Security
Trending
  • Best standing desk deals
  • Best cloud storage 2023
  • What is Microsoft Teams?
  • Windows 11 for business

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Pro

6 tech brands that could challenge Apple

By Jamie Carter
published 9 July 2016

Who's next in line for the 'king of tech' crown?

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Introduction
Can Apple's dominance ever be challenged?

Introduction

Does Apple innovate anymore? With each reveal of a new iPhone there's always one big question from the tech world: is that it? There's a feeling that Apple has reached its zenith when it comes to phones. It might be the most valuable company in the world, but the speed of change in tech is unfathomably fast, and share prices can shrink.

The tech world is littered with super-hot brands that gradually faded away and in the world of phones, there's no bigger example than Nokia. Once the number one handset maker globally, the Finnish company became a department within Microsoft before being sold on this month to iPhone maker Foxconn.

But can Apple, a company with an estimated $200 billion (around £150 billion, AU$270 billion) in the bank, ever be challenged? Here are our fanciful theories, complete with a reality check.

  • Also check out: What's Apple driving at with the $1bn Didi deal?
Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Magic Leap
Magic Leap's mixed reality could change computing forever

Magic Leap

Fanciful theory: Fast forward a few years to an era where hardware is abandoned in favour of 'mixed reality', where headsets, head-mounted units or even 'retinal displays' allow us all to interact with computers without using phones, tablets and laptops.

That's what Magic Leap – which is backed by both Google and Alibaba – is promising with tech that projects the illusion of a hologram into the user's eyes, creating realistic images that fit over the physical world. If a new era of computing beckons, can Apple keep up? Some think not.

Hard truth: Apple must either think it's a crazy idea, or be working on something similar, otherwise Magic Leap would already have been acquired by Cupertino. "It would be a threat to Apple, if Apple didn't take these things on board," says Richard Holway, Chairman and analyst at TechmarketView.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Tesla Motors
Tesla's Model 3 already has an iPad-like touchscreen inside

Tesla Motors

Fanciful theory: The future is all about connected cars. So much so, that if Apple doesn't become a leader in it, as a company it is finished. "The connected, autonomous, self-driving electric car will be the biggest next big thing in the tech scene in terms of revenue," says Holway, adding: "It will surpass the smartphone in terms of importance to many tech companies … the connected car market could be 10-20 times bigger than the phone market."

Is Apple Car a thing, or is Cupertino working only on the connected gubbins and iOS for existing car manufacturers? If only the latter, Apple could regret it, and leave itself open to buffeting from a very rapidly growing market. If Apple doesn't reinvent itself in the direction of connected cars, it could lead to some serious regrets in the future.

Hard truth: One thing is for sure – Apple is going to have a crack at the connected car. Even Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk thinks so. What if Cupertino gets it wrong and another company, such as Tesla Motors, trumps it? Well, it could buy that company. "Apple could buy Tesla for the same price that Microsoft paid for LinkedIn, and I know which company I would prefer to own," says Holway.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Facebook
If VR wins out, it's Facebook that has the hardware and the platform

Facebook

Fanciful theory: Okay, nobody mention Apple's Ping social media experiment, the game has changed. Zuckerberg and co are firmly focused on VR via the acquisition of Oculus Rift. Apple has plans for VR according to rumours, but with the hardware and a massive platform – 1.65 billion users and counting – it's Facebook that's in pole position. Facebook is also expanding its Messenger platform to challenge WeChat in third-party apps and bots, and Apple's iMessage is beginning to feel a little old hat.

"Everyone said they wouldn't be able to get into mobile or monetise it, and now they make obscene sums of money … Facebook is the most awesome company around at the moment in terms of what they've achieved, but it will have to reinvent itself to continue that success," says Holway. After all, it wasn't long ago that we thought that Twitter and LinkedIn were the future of social media.

Hard truth: Apple will expand its iMessage platform in a similar way to how Facebook is expanding Messenger, and as we've mentioned there are plenty of rumours about Apple's plans for VR.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
ARM
The growth of the IoT will change the shape of the tech industry (Image Credit: Thyssenkrupp)

ARM

Fanciful theory: The Internet of Things is coming, and Apple could get left behind. Cisco predicts 11.6 billion mobile devices and machine-to-machine connections by 2020, while Gartner forecasts IoT adoption to grow 50% this year alone. Will Apple dominate it?

No, but Cambridge-based UK firm ARM could. "ARM has been able to look to future trends and has reduced its dependence on producing semiconductors for smartphones to less than 50% of its patent royalty turnover," says Holway, "and it really has moved over to the IoT, with its very tiny transmitters and semiconductors that you can embed in anything."

Hard truth: Although ARM is perhaps one of the more serious contenders to Apple in terms of future earnings potential, all iPhones use ARM-based processors. Apple's status as the world's most valuable company means that an acquisition of ARM is a real possibility, and has been rumoured before.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Foxconn
iPhone maker Foxconn just purchased the Nokia brand

Foxconn

Fanciful theory: Taiwanese company Foxconn Technology Group makes the iPhone in China as well as some of the bits that go in it. The firm wants to make all of it – upcoming OLED displays included – as shown by its acquisition of iPhone display maker Sharp Electronics earlier this year for $3.5 billion (around £2.7 billion, AU$4.7 billion).

However, as its recent acquisition of the Nokia brand from Microsoft demonstrates, the company has ambitions beyond mere assembly. If a faltering Apple iPhone brand were ever for sale, Foxconn would surely be in the running.

Hard truth: Foxconn may have just bought the ailing Nokia brand, but the idea of Apple selling its brand to anyone – even if its smartphone business collapsed and the company moved on to other areas – is far-fetched. After all, it's not like it sold off the iPod brand; Cupertino just let it die.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Huawei
Richard Yu, CEO at Huawei, which spends more on research and development than Apple

Huawei

Fanciful theory: Apple's tagline is 'Designed in California', but everyone knows the iPhone is made in China. All electronics now come from Shenzhen, China, which just happens to be the base for Huawei, now the world's third biggest smartphone brand behind Apple and Samsung.

Now working with Leica and issuing top-end phones at least as good as the iPhone, Huawei spent $9.2 billion (around £7.1 billion, AU$12.3 billion) on research and development last year, a cool billion more than Apple, and its smartphone sales in Europe doubled over the course of 2015.

Hard truth: "Huawei has huge backing from the Chinese state and economy, it's a huge player, and its latest smartphones are clearly up there with the best," says Holway. "They are extremely powerful." However, since Apple is almost certainly thinking far beyond the slowly declining smartphone market, Huawei's rise probably isn't causing sleepless nights in California.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Jamie Carter
Jamie Carter
Social Links Navigation

Jamie is a freelance tech, travel and space journalist based in the UK. He’s been writing regularly for Techradar since it was launched in 2008 and also writes regularly for Forbes, The Telegraph, the South China Morning Post, Sky & Telescope and the Sky At Night magazine as well as other Future titles T3, Digital Camera World, All About Space and Space.com. He also edits two of his own websites, TravGear.com (opens in new tab) and WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com (opens in new tab) that reflect his obsession with travel gear and solar eclipse travel. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners (Springer, 2015),

See more World of tech news
More about pro
Cloud in Hand

Google slams Microsoft's cloud dominance and deals with rivals

Two people having a legal discussion in an office

Avast hit with multimillion-euro fine for GDPR failure

Latest
Windows 11

Microsoft is changing Windows 11 to help you save money on power bills

See more latest ►
Most Popular
This mega Microsoft security flaw could let hackers change Bing results, access Outlook emails

By Sead FadilpašićMarch 31, 2023

One of the most exciting PS5 shooter games is coming to PS Plus in April

By Aleksha McLoughlinMarch 31, 2023

This slept-on Xbox Game Pass shooter just got an expansion you won't want to miss

By Aleksha McLoughlinMarch 31, 2023

Indie devs promised “10 more years” of support by Xbox vice president

By Cat BussellMarch 31, 2023

Quordle today - hints and answers for Friday, March 31 (game #431)

By Marc McLarenMarch 31, 2023

E3 is officially canceled, so what’s next?

By James CutlerMarch 31, 2023

Samsung is working on making your Galaxy S23 cameras even better

By Cesar CadenasMarch 31, 2023

AMD Ryzen 7000 successor statement is 'genuine mistake', says server firm

By Desire AthowMarch 31, 2023

Midjourney didn’t flinch at fake Trump images, but platform abuse motivated free trial halt

By Allisa JamesMarch 30, 2023

New FiiO portable music player offers desktop-grade hi-res audio on the go

By Kevin LynchMarch 30, 2023

New outreach program urges Gen Z to come clean about its vinyl fetish

By Al GriffinMarch 30, 2023

  1. Woman using a laptop in a coffeeshop
    1
    Leaked screenshot could be an early glimpse of the Windows 12 desktop
  2. 2
    The Xbox Series X receives visual update, but not the one we've been waiting for
  3. 3
    Apple TV 4K gets promised Quick Media Switching feature to eliminate 'HDMI bonk'
  4. 4
    The best QLED TVs are catching up to OLED TVs
  5. 5
    Microsoft’s mission to make Windows 11 worse continues with ads in the Start menu
  1. Apple TV 4K 2022 and Siri remote on white background
    1
    Apple TV 4K gets promised Quick Media Switching feature to eliminate 'HDMI bonk'
  2. 2
    Windows 12’s RAM demands could spell doom for older PCs
  3. 3
    Microsoft’s mission to make Windows 11 worse continues with ads in the Start menu
  4. 4
    ChatGPT has passed the Turing test and if you're freaked out, you're not alone
  5. 5
    OPPO Find N2 Flip is here to disrupt the Indian foldable smartphone market
Technology Magazines
(opens in new tab)
  • ●
Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Contact Future's experts (opens in new tab)
  • Contact Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Advertise with us (opens in new tab)
  • Web notifications (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.