Skip to main content

Judge recommends U.S. iPhone import ban for infringing on Qualcomm patents

The dispute between Apple and Qualcomm rages on. A U.S. judge in the International Trade Commission has ruled that Apple infringed on a Qualcomm-owned patent and as a result, recommended an import ban on some iPhone models. The judge did not find that Apple infringed on two other Qualcomm patents.

The ban won’t immediately go into effect and won’t affect new iPhone models like the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. The decision will be reviewed by the full ITC before it will need to be acted on. A final decision is expected by July.

Recommended Videos

The news comes just a few weeks after a jury in San Diego found Apple guilty of infringing on three Qualcomm-owned patents in the iPhone. The jury awarded Qualcomm $31 million in the case, which is the full amount that the company was seeking from Apple after Apple won a ruling that limited the potential payout. That lawsuit was first filed against Apple in 2017, and involved three patents. The first relates to battery efficiency when it comes to processing graphics. The second has to do with how phones quickly connect to the internet after they’re turned on. The third and final patent has to do with managing data traffic in a way that allows apps to download data quicker.

It’s not just older phones that use the tech. Qualcomm claims that the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X all infringe on the patents — though it seems as though Apple has stopped using the disputed tech in its most recent smartphones.

The $31 million in damages equates to $1.41 per iPhone that infringes on patents, and while that amount is spare change for Apple and Qualcomm, the victory has more to with reputation. Beyond their legal battle, Apple and Qualcomm are competitors in the consumer space, with Qualcomm supplying modems and processors or many Android manufacturers. Qualcomm even supplied modems for Apple until a few years ago before Apple made the switch to Intel tech.

This isn’t the last legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm either. The two companies are headed to court in San Diego again in April. That case originated when the Federal Trade Commission, with Apple and Intel, accused Qualcomm of being a monopoly in the modem space. The trial for the case took place in January, with a decision yet to be announced.

Updated on March 26, 2019: An ITC judge has recommended a U.S. iPhone import ban. 

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
The foldable iPhone could become a yearly staple for Apple
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

South Korean tech site ET News has released a report suggesting the foldable iPhone will get an annual refresh starting in 2026. It would replace the Pro Max as the top-of-the-line iPhone model and get updated every year just like the rest of the core lineup.

The launch date for the "iPhone Fold" is still up in the air -- so while ET News is betting on 2026, we don't know if that will turn out to be accurate or not. Either way, the hype around this rumored new model is continuing to build with every new leak we get.

Read more
Latest iPhone Fold leak adds weight to previously rumored design feature
Concept render of a foldable iPhone.

There are plenty of rumors surrounding Apple's next iPhone models, with the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models expected to be revealed later this year, likely in September. A super slim iPhone – dubbed the iPhone 17 Air in most rumors – has also been heavily speculated to arrive this year, competing with the recent Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, but next year could see an even more exciting iPhone launch. 

It's long been rumored that 2026 could be the year Apple finally joins the folding phone market, with its offering going up against devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, or what will likely be the Galaxy Z Fold 7 by the time Apple's model arrives. There have already been a number of reports suggesting what the iPhone Fold might feature, but the latest talks about the screen ratios of both the main and cover displays, as well as the front camera design. 

Read more
Word of notch-less and bezel-less iPhone in 2027 is refusing to die down
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen.

In just two years, the world-dominating smartphone will celebrate its 20th anniversary -- and it looks like Apple has big plans for it. Reports from Bloomberg and The Information suggest the company is aiming for a curved and completely bezel-less display with no notches or cutouts for cameras or sensors.

We've already seen plenty of "curved" and "edge-to-edge" displays from manufacturers like Samsung, but current approaches only curve along the left and right edges of the device. Apple, on the other hand, reportedly wants to go all-in with a glass display that curves around all the edges and corners of the phone.

Read more