Apple will pay Qualcomm a lump sum of $4.5 billion to $4.7 billion as part of as legal settlement the two companies recently reached.
This is almost as much as Qualcomm’s entire revenue for its current quarter, showing Apple’s importance to the chipmaker.
Most people probably shrugged their shoulders at the news Apple and Qualcomm ended their long, bitter legal war. But this is actually going to benefit every iPhone user.
It means that Apple is almost guaranteed to introduce a handset with super-fast 5G next year. Before now, there was some question about whether that was possible.
Apple apparently has another option for 5G modems. Huawei reportedly is willing to provide future iPhones with these chips.
If true, this significantly improves the chances that a 5G iPhone will launch in 2020. Still, there are reasons to question the wisdom of any such deal.
Just hours after an International Trade Commission judge ruled in favor of Qualcomm in a patent infringement lawsuit with Apple, the Commission as a whole made the iPhone maker the winner in a separate dispute between the pair of companies.
This is a demonstration of how much acrimony there is between these two, who were once close allies.
Some iPhone models could soon be blocked from coming into the U.S. after a judge recently ruled that Apple infringed on Qualcomm’s patents.
ITC Judge MaryJoan McNamara found that iPhone infringes on one of three patents in Qualcomm’s case against Apple. She subsequently said she will recommend an import ban on iPhones, but a panel of judges could still save Apple.
A jury ruled today Apple owes chip maker Qualcomm $31 million for violating three patents for tech used in some models of the iPhone.
The ruling came after a two week trial in San Diego on a lawsuit filed by Qualcomm in 2017. Apple is likely to appeal.
This week’s legal fight between Apple and Qualcomm reached a point generally only seen on TV courtroom dramas: the iPhone maker accused its rival of witness tampering.
The complaint comes after Apple’s star witness decided at the last minute not to testify.
Qualcomm needs to settle its lawsuits with Apple soon if it wants to be in the first 5G iPhone. Time is running out on this chip maker to supply 5G modems for Apple’s 2020 offering, according to an industry analyst.
And that would hurt Qualcomm more than Apple.
There’s now proof that Apple rushed iOS 12.1.2 out primarily to make changes to iPhones in China. We also have confirmation of exactly what the modifications are.
These were designed to convince a Chinese court that iPhones don’t infringe on two Qualcomm patents. The hope is that court will then reverse an iPhone sales ban that went into effect in that country last week.
Apple has rushed out iOS 12.1.2 after a single round of beta testing. This highly unusual move could be part of the company’s response to a recent ban on iPhone sales in China.
The release notes on this new version say nothing about that though, just indicating that iOS 12.1.2 fixes some small issues.
The estimated release date for Intel’s first 5G modem makes it very unlikely a 5G iPhone will be released before 2020. Android devices with this speedy new cellular-wireless technology are expected a year before then.
The 5G iPhone delay is a result of the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm.
Apple is making zero effort to reach a settlement in its wide-ranging legal battle with Qualcomm.
The iPhone-maker used Qualcomm wireless chips in its devices for years, but the two sides recently started butting heads over how much Apple owes in royalties. Qualcomm alleges that Apple should pay it an additional $7 billion and it looks like it will have to go to war for every cent.
