Apple and Qualcomm Reach Settlement, Agree to Drop All Litigation

Apple and Qualcomm just kicked off a legal battle over unpaid royalty rebates in a San Diego court, but the case will be cut short as the two companies have reached a settlement.

Apple announced the news in a press release this afternoon. Apple says the settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm and a six-year licensing agreement for Qualcomm's technologies.

qualcomm iphone 7

Qualcomm and Apple today announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm. The companies also have reached a six-year license agreement, effective as of April 1, 2019, including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement.

The settlement ends all ongoing litigation between the two companies, including with Apple's contract manufacturers. All companies involved have reached a global patent license agreement and a chipset supply agreement, suggesting Apple may be planning to once again use Qualcomm chips in its devices going forward.

The legal battle dates back to 2017, when Apple sued Qualcomm for over $1 billion in unpaid royalty rebates, accusing the San Diego chip company of anticompetitive patent licensing practices.

Apple in its lawsuit claimed that Qualcomm had "unfairly insisted" on collecting royalties for "technologies they have nothing to do with," while Qualcomm said that its technology is "at the heart of every iPhone. The original lawsuit spawned a bitter legal battle between the two companies, which led to patent disputes and import bans in multiple countries, all of which will now be resolved.

Apple had also stopped using Qualcomm chips in its devices due to the ongoing legal troubles, opting for an all Intel chip lineup in 2018. Recent rumors have, however, suggested that Apple's plans to use Intel's 5G chips for its 2020 iPhones may fall through due to Intel's production delays, which may have been a factor in Apple's decision to come to an agreement with Qualcomm.

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

sw1tcher Avatar
81 months ago
So Apple agreed to pay for the patents like they should have from the beginning? Maybe Qualcomm gave them a slight discount?

What this comes down to is Apple really wanted those Qualcomm 5G wireless chips and Qualcomm really wanted Apple's $
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
81 months ago
Lol. Qualcomm caved because under exhaustion law their business model would have been toast.
Apple caved.

If Apple really believed Qualcomm's patents were unfair, they would have fought this to the end. Instead, Apple just signed a 6 year licensing deal with Qualcomm, "including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement."
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
techwhiz Avatar
81 months ago
Willing to bet that Qualcomm took a lot less to just get something. Rather than chance not getting anything.
More like Apple wanted to get something so they stopped litigation.
A six year license agreement with a two year option at the end.
Apple paying Qualcomm.

Qualcomm stock up more than Apple.
best outcome for both. Stop paying the lawyers and tying up the courts.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
81 months ago
This is terrible news. It means we won’t have three years of AngerDanger Rocky-GIF-mockups with these two companies battling it out.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Drogba11 Avatar
81 months ago
This can only be good news
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djphat2000 Avatar
81 months ago
Willing to bet that Qualcomm took a lot less to just get something. Rather than chance not getting anything.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)