Apple and Qualcomm Reach Settlement, Agree to Drop All Litigation
Apple and Qualcomm just kicked off a legal battle over unpaid royalty rebates in a San Diego court, but the case will be cut short as the two companies have reached a settlement.
Apple announced the news in a press release this afternoon. Apple says the settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm and a six-year licensing agreement for Qualcomm's technologies.
![qualcomm iphone 7](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.macrumors.com/t/cer4bucnKc_vaAcsnU6MH15Bhp8=/400x0/article-new/2017/06/qualcomm-iphone-7-800x374.jpg?lossy)
Qualcomm and Apple today announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm. The companies also have reached a six-year license agreement, effective as of April 1, 2019, including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement.
The settlement ends all ongoing litigation between the two companies, including with Apple's contract manufacturers. All companies involved have reached a global patent license agreement and a chipset supply agreement, suggesting Apple may be planning to once again use Qualcomm chips in its devices going forward.
The legal battle dates back to 2017, when Apple sued Qualcomm for over $1 billion in unpaid royalty rebates, accusing the San Diego chip company of anticompetitive patent licensing practices.
Apple in its lawsuit claimed that Qualcomm had "unfairly insisted" on collecting royalties for "technologies they have nothing to do with," while Qualcomm said that its technology is "at the heart of every iPhone. The original lawsuit spawned a bitter legal battle between the two companies, which led to patent disputes and import bans in multiple countries, all of which will now be resolved.
Apple had also stopped using Qualcomm chips in its devices due to the ongoing legal troubles, opting for an all Intel chip lineup in 2018. Recent rumors have, however, suggested that Apple's plans to use Intel's 5G chips for its 2020 iPhones may fall through due to Intel's production delays, which may have been a factor in Apple's decision to come to an agreement with Qualcomm.
Popular Stories
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...