Apple, confronting a court ban in China on some of its iPhone models over alleged infringement of Qualcomm Inc patents.Apple claims it has found a software solution to the court injunction.
In a statement to Reuters the company said it would be issuing a software update “early next week” which it believes will address “the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case.” If the courts agree, this update will imply that Apple can continue to sell the iPhones influenced by the ban, which ban the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X.
Apple says its update will address the "minor functionality" of both.The patents are related to adjusting and reformatting the size and appearance of iPhone photos, and managing apps using a touchscreen. They just affect iOS 11, Apple told CNBC, so the latest iOS 12 software doesn't infringe on Qualcomm's patent.
Be that as it may, this update is probably to bring the dispute to an end if Qualcomm, which Apple claims needs a settlement, has its way. Just yesterday the chipmaker asked for a further injunction to ban sales of the iPhone XS and XR, which are Apple's most recent iPhone models sold with iOS 12 pre-installed, the version of the product that Apple claims doesn't infringe upon the patents.
"Apple continues to disregard and violate the Fuzhou court's orders," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm, in an emailed statement. "They are legally obligated to immediately cease sales, offers for sale and importation of the devices identified in the orders and to prove compliance in court."
The case, brought by Qualcomm, is a part of a worldwide patent dispute between the two US tech giants, including dozens of lawsuits. The ban threatens Apple's business in one of its greatest markets when worries over declining interest for new iPhones are battering its offers.
The companies have been fighting over patents since January 2017, when Apple filed suit against Qualcomm for around $1 billion and said it didn't give reasonable licensing terms for its technology.
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