Qualcomm has already took apple sales in china this week and this times it’s Germany. A court has ruled that some iPhone models, featuring Intel modems, violate a Qualcomm patent.  The court said that infringing iPhone models could no longer be sold in Germany, however the ban will not go into effect if Apple appeals. Apple is yet to officially say if it will appeal, but it almost certainly will. In the China case, courts ruled that Apple infringed Qualcomm patents relating to photo editing and arranging apps on a touchscreen. Apple said it didn’t need to stop the iPhone sales in china and would release a software update for addressing the complaint as a result iOS 12.1.2 released with new force closing apps for china’s phones.
This German ruling is more troubling for the smartphone maker as the patents under study are actually related to modem technology.
Apple and Qualcomm are yet to release press statements on the judgement. Apple is embroiled in a global dispute with Qualcomm, as it argues the latter is trying to uphold unfair patent licensing royalties on standards essential patents. Qualcomm is seeking iPhone bans to try and force Apple’s hand.
Apple started using Intel modems in the iPhone 7, and its latest range of iPhone XS and iPhone XR use Intel exclusively. Many industry watchers believe that Apple is designing its own custom modem chips for future devices, but that project is unlikely to bear fruit for a few years.
