The recent court-appointed sales ban on certain iPhone models in Germany could be at risk. That’s thanks to a decision by a German court on Tuesday, who ruled against Qualcomm in its patent case against Apple.
The regional court in the city of Mannheim threw out the Qualcomm suit, claiming that the patent was not being violated due to Apple’s use of Qualcomm chips in its older iPhones. Qualcomm has said it plans to appeal.
Apple wanted to use Qualcomm’s LTE modems in the iPhone XS and iPhone XR this year, but according to Apple COO Jeff Williams, Qualcomm refused to sell Apple its chips due to their current legal disputes.
After using both Intel and Qualcomm modems in the 2017 iPhone lineup, Apple says it planned to use chips from both companies again on the 2018 iPhones. Qualcomm’s refusal to sell Apple chips forced Intel to scramble to make up for the extra production.
Buying multiple Apple Watch bands may soon become as outdated as mechanical watches.
Apple recently patented a brilliant idea for a chameleon-like Apple Watch band that can change colors to match what you’re wearing. Sometime in the future, you might be able to snap a picture of the color you’re wearing, and have Apple Watch match it in an instant. It’s about to get a lot harder to make fashion faux pas.
Apple just released the third beta versions of iOS 12.1.3 and macOS Mojave 10.14.3 to developers and the public. The same is true for a new tvOS 12.1.2 beta. Only developers got access to the new watchOS 5.1.3 beta introduced today, though.
But don’t get your hopes up for exciting new features.
Qualcomm has posted a bond of 1.34 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to enforce a German court order halting several iPhone models from selling in the country.
Apple is appealing the court’s December 20, 2018 ruling, although it declined to comment on Qualcomm’s latest move.
The Apple Watch may be the world’s top wearable device right now, but that doesn’t mean that Apple’s happy to stop there. According to a newly published patent, Apple has developed its very own fabric, made up of a ridged material to offer a “contrasting appearance.”
The patent is an ornamental one, covering the look of the fabric rather than a specific use case. However, given Apple’s history of investigation into smart fabrics, it’s possible that the material could be used for developing future smart, sensor-equipped clothing.
Apple’s former Senior Marketing Director Michael Gartenberg has chimed in on the company’s latest “bendgate,” this time related to its iPad Pro. In a recent tweet, Gartenberg said that he returned his iPad Pro after spotting a noticeable bend.
“Perhaps it was within Apple tolerances but Apple tolerances shouldn’t allow for a clear noticeble bend,” he wrote. “Much as monitors with noticeble dead pixels aren’t acceptable either.”
A number of Chinese companies are reportedly boycotting Apple as a show of support for Huawei Technologies.
The Chinese Huawei brand overtook Apple in smartphone shipments this year. Recently, its chief financial officer was arrested in Canada for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions by doing business in Iran.
Apple will be barred from selling certain iPhone models in Germany, after a court ruled that Apple was infringing on a Qualcomm patent. While the ban isn’t immediate, provided that Apple appeals it, Apple has said that it will stop selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 in Apple Stores until the matter is resolved.
The decision against Apple comes shortly after Qualcomm scored a similar victory in a court in China. It will not affect the iPhone XR, XS, or XS Max.
China isn’t the only place where Apple is trying to ward off a possible legal challenge from Qualcomm. According to a new report, it has introduced a change to iOS that affects only users in Germany.
It comes before a hearing, scheduled for later today, in which a German court will hear that Apple allegedly violated Qualcomm’s patents.