Apple and Samsung Electronics Owners Could Be Due for a Share of a £480m Payout in the Britain

Approximately thirty million people in the United Kingdom who acquired an Apple Inc. and/or Samsung Electronics handset between the year 2015 to 2024 may be entitled to about 17 pounds per claimant if a customer watchdog wins in its legal action against the US corporation Qualcomm.

Trial Begins Today

The campaign is bringing the technology corporation to the specialized court in the UK capital this week.

The case between the watchdog and the chipmaker is anticipated to run for five weeks.

The organization is alleging the semiconductor firm of anti-competitive practices.

The group asserts that the company pressured Apple Inc. and Samsung to pay high fees and royalty payments for essential mobile hardware, which then pushed up the price of those smartphones for consumers.

What the Legal Action Will Decide

The trial commencing now will focus on whether the chipmaker had control and, if proven, whether it misused a powerful stance.

In the event that the advocacy organization is successful in its claim, there will be a follow-up phase seeking £480 million from the tech firm, to be allocated to an approximate 29 million UK smartphone users affected.

The organization is claiming compensation for all eligible Apple Inc. and Samsung handsets bought between 1 October 2015 and January 9, 2024.

The group states this would probably calculate at around £17 per person.

Past Cases and The Firm's Statement

Qualcomm has in the past claimed the case has "little merit".

A parallel case against the tech giant is in progress in the Canadian courts, and the company has also in the past been penalized by the European Union for anti-competition violations.

The Federal Trade Commission in the US filed a case against the company for unfair practices in the way it sold rights to its patents in the year 2017, but had its claim thrown out in the year 2020.

Importance of the Legal Action

The CEO of the organization stated: "This trial is a major milestone. It demonstrates how the power of the public - represented by us - can be used to make the biggest companies to be accountable when they exploit their leading role."

Qualcomm is one of the largest global producers of smartphone chips and has encountered claims about anti-competitive behaviour before.

• Qualifying handsets include Apple Inc. & Samsung products bought between October 2015 and 2024.
• The total payout being sought is £480m.
• Per-person payout is estimated to be approximately 17 pounds.
• The trial is proceeding at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London.