Qualcomm Calls Apple's Claims 'Baseless' in Response to $1 Billion Lawsuit

Following news yesterday that Apple has filed suit against LTE modem supplier Qualcomm for engaging in anticompetitive licensing practices, the chipmaker hit back on Sunday by calling Apple's claims "baseless" and accusing it of "encouraging regulatory attacks".

Apple shared a statement with several news sites on Friday announcing the lawsuit, which argued that Qualcomm used its position as the sole supplier of a key iPhone component to drive up patent licensing fees. This morning Qualcomm responded in a statement on its website in which it claimed that Apple "intentionally mischaracterized our agreements and negotiations".

qualcomm_logo

"While we are still in the process of reviewing the complaint in detail, it is quite clear that Apple's claims are baseless. Apple has intentionally mischaracterized our agreements and negotiations, as well as the enormity and value of the technology we have invented, contributed and shared with all mobile device makers through our licensing program. Apple has been actively encouraging regulatory attacks on Qualcomm's business in various jurisdictions around the world, as reflected in the recent KFTC decision and FTC complaint, by misrepresenting facts and withholding information. We welcome the opportunity to have these meritless claims heard in court where we will be entitled to full discovery of Apple's practices and a robust examination of the merits," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel, Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm was the sole supplier of LTE modems used in iPhones up until 2016, when Intel also began providing the component with the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Apple claims Qualcomm forced it to use the LTE chips and pay back a percentage of the selling price of the phone in return for access to its patents.

Apple wants $1 billion in rebate payments, which were withheld by Qualcomm after Apple became involved in an antitrust investigation against the company in South Korea.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

Scottsoapbox Avatar
108 months ago
Apple likes bullying suppliers in negotiations.
Apple dislikes it when the supplier can bully them.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tooltalk Avatar
108 months ago
Sounds like Trump needs to pull troops from South Korea.
It would in a good way to end any competition against American companies and sort of force US companies to bring their manufacturing back to our soil.

Please take this light heartedly.
a contract dispute between two US companies. It's all Koreans' fault.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
108 months ago
Of course they did. We don't need a headline for that. Or did anyone expect them to say, "Ooh, sorry, our bad. Where's the checkbook?"

Sometimes I thing MR actually wants ill-informed threads to spiral out of control. Here comes another one.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
palmerc Avatar
108 months ago
Tim Crook, the CEO of one most profitable companies, doing his thing to low ball or get a free hand out from his suppliers. A company that sues others a billion dollars for petty rectangle with rounded corners but unwilling to pay Qualcomm for the engineering that goes into building the best radio technologies.
Really? Tim Crook?

Apple isn't alone, Qualcomm has been accused of anti-competitive practices by the FTC ('https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/business/qualcomm-accused-of-anticompetitive-practices-by-ftc.html?_r=0') and if they aren't already under investigation by the EU, they soon will be.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
108 months ago
Tim Crook, the CEO of one the most profitable companies, doing his thing to low ball or get a free hand out from his suppliers. A company that sues others a billion dollars for petty rectangle with rounded corners but unwilling to pay Qualcomm for the engineering that goes into building the best radio technologies.
"Tim Crook"

How juvenile, and so very adorable. That alone makes your post safely ignorable.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mi7chy Avatar
108 months ago
Tim Crook, the CEO of one the most profitable companies, doing his thing to low ball or get a free hand out from his suppliers. A company that sues others a billion dollars for petty rectangle with rounded corners but unwilling to pay Qualcomm for the engineering that goes into building the best radio technologies.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)