Reflections of legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm continue to appear in different parts of the world and this time the decision is not good for Ma. Germany determined that some models of iPhones, equipped with modems from Intel, infringe chip manufacturer patents and cannot be marketed in the country.
More precisely, Qualcomm holds a patent in German territory that describes a way to preserve the battery of devices while its modems send and receive cellular signals. The German court ruled that Intel's modems infringe this patent and, therefore, iPhones that include such components cannot be marketed in the country.
Apple has released a press release stating that it will appeal the decision, but while the lawsuit is in progress, stop selling the iPhone 7 it's the iPhone 8 in its 15 stores in German territory. The XS, XS Max and XR iPhones will continue to be sold normally at Apple Stores and older models can be found at authorized retailers or operator stores.
It is not yet clear why Apple decided to stop selling iPhones 7 and 8 even more considering that, in these models, Intel modems are used in only a few units; already in the XS / XR iPhones, all units are equipped with Intel parts, which, theoretically, are the root of the whole problem (perhaps the new modem models do not infringe the patent; or the process was started when the new iPhones did not exist).
The fact that the German problem seems to be much more difficult to solve than that of China over there, the court decision that threatened Apple revolved around simply an iOS interface element (which apparently also violated a Qualcomm patent) ; Ma corrected the problem by updating the system and changed the said element. In Germany, on the other hand, the focus of the decision is on a part within the devices, which, obviously, cannot be removed in a software update.
The Apple statement brings harsh Qualcomm criticism and its modus operandi:
Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt to take notice of the real problems between the two companies. Their tactics in justice and in their day-to-day business are hurting innovation and consumers. Qualcomm insists on charging exorbitant fees for technologies they did not create and is being investigated by governments worldwide for this behavior.
No one knows how to give this story. All the details are very detailed and very different in each country where the legal dispute is taking place. The fact that Qualcomm's statements, that the war was close to ending, does not seem to be reflected in reality: apparently, the whole fight is just beginning. We will have to follow her next steps closely.
via 9to5Mac
