Samsung Results Could Cut Into Apple's Profits

Samsung is expected to announce another record quarter when it reports at the end of the month. But will the company's success come at the expense of Apple AAPL, Nokia NOK, and Research in Motion RIMM? It is no secret that the South Korean electronics manufacturer has had a negative impact on its competitors. This is heavily due to the firm's implementation of the Android mobile operating system from Google GOOG, which the company uses to power all of its phones. Samsung's latest major release, the Galaxy S III, has propelled the tech giant's operating profit this quarter. According to The Register, Samsung is projecting that its second quarter operating profit will rise 14.5 percent from the previous quarter and 79 percent from the same quarter last year. Second quarter operating profit is expected to be 6.7 trillion won, or $5.9 billion. Second quarter results could have been even higher. But supply shortages affected sales of the Galaxy S III worldwide, Samsung claimed, noting that worldwide demand has been much greater than anticipated. Samsung continues to lead global TV sales, preventing its Japanese competitors, Sony SNE and Panasonic PC, from crawling back to the top of this declining market. Last month, Samsung announced that it expected Galaxy S III sales to reach 10 million in July. That is a far cry from the 37 million iPhones that Apple sold during the iPhone 4S' first quarter. But with every successful new product, Samsung encroaches on Apple's territory. In just five months, Samsung shipped five million Galaxy Notes, abolishing expectations. With a larger-than-normal 5.3-inch screen, Samsung was not expected to sell a significant number of units. But consumer demand proved to be quite large. Last Spring, research from Gartner IT suggested that Apple will maintain its healthy lead in the tablet market. But Samsung is gaining on Apple in every other regard. As Samsung's market share continues to rise globally, Apple's market share has declined in Europe. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones during the second quarter -- just 1.9 million less than the previous quarter. However, while third-generation iPad sales are expected to rise in the third quarter, some analysts believe that iPhone 4S sales will continue to fall. Inevitably, some consumers will hold off on making a purchase until the iPhone 5 is released. And even if the iPhone 4S was the last iPhone ever produced, high sales could not be sustained forever. Eventually, the market will peak. But in the months leading up to the next iPhone, Samsung will attempt to convert as many consumers as possible. In a few short weeks, investors will learn how successful Samsung has been in this regard. Follow me @LouisBedigianBZ