Analyst predicts Apple & Nokia patent disputes

A London-based analyst is predicting tension between the Apple and Nokia camps come 2008, as the Finnish company develops the latest, touchscreen-focused upgrade to its S60 cellphone OS.  Already seen in promotional films, the Nokia Touch appears to use a capacitative touch-sensitive panel called Haptikos that adds haptic feedback to an OS that appears - in pre-release videos at least - to borrow heavily from the iPhone's interface.  Richard Windsor, an analyst at Nomura, believes that "Apple will likely view Nokia as infringing on its user interface patents" and seek to delay development and production of the next-gen Nokia handsets.

Nokia has already admitted to 'borrowing' from the iPhone's UI, with Executive VP & General Manager of Multimedia, Anssi Vanjoki, telling reporters that "if there is something good in the world then we copy with pride".  The differentiating factor of the Nokia Touch concept, though, is that it seemingly includes all of the high-end features of, for instance, the N95, as opposed to the iPhone with its notable omissions of MMS and the like.

Windsor predicts that rather than a court battle, the two companies will settle in 2009.  That could be enough time for Apple to push iPhone development and further cement their touchscreen lead.