Skip to main content

Apple pushing update to iPhone in China in response to legal troubles

Apple has been facing legal issues in China, where sales of some iPhone models could be banned due to alleged infringements of patents from Qualcomm Inc. On Friday, Apple announced that it will push out a software update to users in China in hopes of resolving any potential legal issues around the iPhone.

The legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm has been heating up this month, based on a disagreement over the percentage of royalties that Apple should pay to Qualcomm for using their patents. The companies are suing each other in various countries, but it is in China that the biggest showdown is happening. After Qualcomm called for a ban of iPhones in China, telling Bloomberg that “Apple employs technologies invented by Qualcomm without paying for them,” a Chinese court upheld the complaint and ordered a ban on the sales of some older iPhone models.

Recommended Videos

In response, Apple is updating their software which they plan to push out to Chinese iPhone users early next week. Even so, Apple denied any wrongdoing, telling Reuters, “Based on the iPhone models we offer today in China, we believe we are in compliance.” They said that the two patents in question formed only a “minor functionality” of the software and that the update would address their use.

Qualcomm don’t seem to be satisfied by this reaction from Apple. Qualcomm’s general counsel Don Rosenberg said that even with the proposed updates, “Apple continues to disregard and violate the Fuzhou court’s orders… 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.”

Even though the current legality of selling the older iPhone models in China is murky, in practice even with a court order it would take a long time for the patent laws to be sorted though and an actual ban on sales to be put in place. As of the time of writing, iPhones are still available to buy on the Apple China website including the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 8, and iPhone 7. In addition, Apple is appealing to both Chinese manufacturers and customers, saying that a ban on sales in the country would hurt them all.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
It’s the end of the road for these two iPhone models
Apple iPhone 6S Plus

Seeing your favorite handheld gaming device in a retro store has a unique way of making you feel old, but Apple might have topped it. According to the company, the iPhone XS Max and iPhone 6s Plus are now "vintage." They join the ranks of the iPhone 4 and even the iPad Pro 12.9-inch model.

It's not wholly unexpected. Apple declares a device vintage after five years, and that means it becomes more difficult to have that device repaired or to find replacement parts for it. Obsolete is applied to products that are more than seven years old, but sometimes certain variants get that label early.

Read more
The uncertain future cost of Apple’s Emergency SOS feature
Person holding iPhone 14 searching for Emergency SOS satellite.

It's been roughly two years since the launch of the iPhone 14 and its Emergency SOS via satellite feature. You might recall that during the first two years, Apple said it would be free to use but that it might require a subscription after that time, according to MacRumors. Last year, Apple extended the time limit by one more year, so you actually have until November 2025, when the trial period ends.

That's good news. The Emergency SOS feature is, quite literally, lifesaving. During April of this year, three university students lost their way in a canyon and used the feature to call for help. Another story arose in July where the feature came through once more in a moment of crisis. And if you keep digging, you'll find numerous other examples of how this tech is truly beneficial.

Read more
Google Gemini arrives on iPhone as a native app
the Google extensions feature on iPhone

Google announced Thursday that it has released a new native Gemini app for iOS that will give iPhone users free, direct access to the chatbot without the need for a mobile web browser.

The Gemini mobile app has been available for Android since February, when the platform transitioned from the older Bard branding. However, iOS users could only access the AI on their phones through either the mobile Google app or via a web browser. This new app provides a more streamlined means of chatting with the bot as well as a host of new (to iOS) features.

Read more