In an unexpected move, Apple and Qualcomm have dropped all ongoing lawsuits and announced that they’ve reached a settlement. Apple will be paying Qualcomm an undisclosed amount, following suits that have spanned the globe and began at least two years ago. The two have also entered a six-year global patent licensing deal that extends for another two years. Qualcomm will be supplying Apple parts for multiple years, which suggest we could see Qualcomm modems back in the iPhone again.
The two have been fighting over Qualcomm’s patent licensing practices. Apple claims Qualcomm has been charging exorbitantly high fees for essential patents. They aren’t the only ones calling out Qualcomm for this as the company has been sued over its licensing practices and monopolistic behaviours around the world.
But the company was putting the pressure on Apple as well. It won iPhone bans in Germany and China over patent violations as well as a lawsuit in the US that put a high price on some of its patents.
The wins, which could have Qualcomm end up raising the price on Apple, might have made the phone maker more inclined to settle. There’s also the aspect of these trials being public and both didn’t want their secrets aired out for all to see.
So, where does that leave us? Business as usual at Apple and Qualcomm. After relying on Intel to provide modems for its iPhones, we might see Qualcomm chips on upcoming phones again. And with Qualcomm further along in developing 5G tech than Intel, we might see 5G on an iPhone earlier than expected.
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