Android Launch Delays Probably Help Apple, Susquehanna Says

In a report published Wednesday, Susquehanna analyst Chris Caso mentioned that the 1H Android product delays are among the factors supporting the relative strength of

and "our bullish view on the stock" as well as "our more cautious view" on

. Analyst Chris Caso believes that some of the "well-publicized design challenges" for Qualcomm's S810 chipset have caused delays in product launches at several OEMs. These launch delays have exerted pressure on smartphone demand in the first half of this year. Moreover, this also "helps to explain" the more positive data for iPhone builds in C2Q, with Apple likely to be benefiting from "lighter competition." In the report Susquehanna noted, "Looking forward, our checks still reveal a lot of uncertainty about 2H15 plans, which we think is likely to be reflected on July earnings calls. We do think QCOM's follow on S820 chipset will bring significant improvements for the Android ecosystem, but checks suggest it's doubtful that S820-based phones can come before next year." Caso has a Positive rating on Apple and a Neutral rating on Qualcomm.