Apple up on Samsung win, analysts see problems for Android rivals

Shares of Apple Inc looked set to open up 3 percent at a new lifetime high on Monday, after the iPhone maker won a bitter patent war against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

Analysts said the win strengthened Apple's position in the mobile devices market ahead of the iPhone 5 launch and could cement its dominance as companies using Google Inc's Android operating system may be forced to consider design changes.

Google shares were set to open nearly 2 percent lower.

Samsung shares slumped 7.5 percent, wiping more than $12 billion off the South Korean giant's market value.

Apple was awarded $1.05 billion in damages after a U.S. jury found the Korean company had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad. The verdict could lead to an outright ban on sales of key Samsung products.

Shares of Apple rose to $681.19 in trading before the bell on Monday. They closed at $663.22 on the Nasdaq on Friday.

"While a ban would likely increase Apple's leading smartphone share in the U.S. market, we believe this verdict could lead to Samsung also delaying near-term product launches as it attempts to design around Apple's patents," Canaccord Genuity analysts said in a note.

While the victory does not cover new Samsung products, like the Galaxy SIII, Apple will push its case on these products in the near-term, Evercore Partners analyst Mark McKechnie said.

He said an all-out sales ban on Samsung products like the Galaxy S and SII, Nexus 4G and Galaxy Tab is unlikely.

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012