Qualcomm Now Seeks iPhone XS and iPhone XR Sales Ban in China as Legal Battle With Apple Intensifies

Qualcomm plans to file for an injunction on the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR in China, which would theoretically prevent the sale of those devices in the country, a lawyer for the company told the Financial Times today.

iphone xs vs xr
Earlier this week, a Chinese court granted an injunction on older iPhone 6s through iPhone X models in China after it ruled that those devices violated two Qualcomm patents, and the chipmaker now plans to assert those same patents against the latest iPhones amid an escalating legal battle with Apple.

The first Qualcomm patent reportedly enables users to "adjust and reformat the size and appearance of photos," while the second is said to relate to "managing applications using a touch screen when viewing and navigating apps."

In a statement issued following the ruling earlier this week, Apple said all iPhone models remain available for customers in China:

Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world. All iPhone models remain available for our customers in China. Qualcomm is asserting three patents they had never raised before, including one which has already been invalidated. We will pursue all our legal options through the courts.

Apple has continued to sell the affected iPhone models in China because it believes the patent infringement ruling does not apply to iOS 12, leading Qualcomm to call on the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court to enforce the injunction.

Reports suggest that Qualcomm's latest efforts are an attempt to pressure Apple into settling a long-standing dispute between the two companies, primarily over chip-related licensing fees. Reports also suggest that the iPhone injunction could be politically motivated due to the ongoing US-China trade war.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

Aluminum213 Avatar
86 months ago
Good for Qualcomm, Apple has bullied enough companies over the years
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericgtr12 Avatar
86 months ago
While Qualcomm may be winning this battle in the short term, they're just forcing Apple's hand who are now focusing on creating their own. In the end I don't see this working out well for Qualcomm.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kis Avatar
86 months ago
Qualcomm are clearly the bad guys here. There's no way Apple can possibly have stolen intellectual property. Only others do that.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
86 months ago
Good for Qualcomm, Apple has bullied enough companies over the years
You seem to not have an idea who is bulling on this case. The "smart ass" Qualcomm seem to want a % for every iPhone sold (regardless if they do or they do not have their chips in them) and not for the actual chips. And only for Apple. What a wonderful idea he?? Talk about bulling!!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
86 months ago
Not everything is for sale no matter how much money you have.
Everything is for sale. With that said, I don't want Apple to buy them. I want Apple to bury them.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
78Bandit Avatar
86 months ago
It's amazing how much the patent system sounds like a game of Simon Says. Apple has manufactured machines that manipulate photos and switch applications for decades BUT throw the phrase "using a touch screen" before a feature, and all of the sudden, it's brand new.
Absolutely. Patents should not be issued for things like this. It wasn't that long ago Apple was suing Samsung for using the "swipe to unlock" and "pinch to zoom" gestures. Patent law has gotten ridiculous and is being used to protect generic ideas rather than the specific implementation of those ideas.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)