Apple to Push Legal Claims 'Hard and Unrelentingly': Analyst

Apple will "push its legal claims hard and unrelentingly" in regards to patents on its iPhone and mobile technology in the effort to "upend" momentum of Google's Android software for mobile devices, according to one analyst.

Sanford Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi writes in an opinion that Apple's behavior of suing Samsung, HTC, and Motorola Mobility for patent infringement shows Apple's conviction of protecting its mobile technology patents -- patents Apple views as being unfairly duplicated by competitors, Android specifically.

Should Apple win, forcing Android designers to have to reconfigure the operating system, Apple's surging momentum in mobile technology will advance.

"Should Apple prevail in forcing Android to rework some of its functionality, resulting in market share shifts, it could have huge, positive financial implications for Apple: we note that a 10 percentage point shift in smartphone market share from Android to Apple (the current run-rate smartphone share is 46% for Android vs. 18% for Apple) in 2013 is worth an estimated $30B+ in annual revenue and $10+ in annual EPS to Apple," wrote Sacconaghi, in a note to investors.

Sacconaghi reiterated an Outperform rating on Apple shares and a $510 price target. Apple's shares traded Thursday at noon at $394.44, up one percent.