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Nearly thirty million consumers in the United Kingdom who purchased an Apple or Samsung Electronics smartphone from the year 2015 and the year 2024 may be able to about 17 pounds per person should a customer watchdog wins in its case against the American technology firm Qualcomm Inc..

Trial Commences On Monday

The advocacy organization is bringing the technology corporation to the specialized court in the UK capital now.

The case between the watchdog and the chipmaker is expected to run for over a month.

The group is accusing the tech firm of unfair competition.

It claims that the firm forced Apple & Samsung to pay high fees and patent charges for essential mobile hardware, which then increased the price of those devices for buyers.

The Details the Case Will Determine

The trial starting now will focus on whether the chipmaker had market power and, should that be the case, whether it exploited a dominant position.

Should the advocacy organization is victorious, there will be a second stage seeking £480 million from Qualcomm, to be allocated to an approximate 29 million UK smartphone users involved.

The organization is seeking damages for all impacted Apple & Samsung handsets bought between the start of October 2015 and early January 2024.

The group says this would probably work out at approximately £17 per person.

Previous Allegations and Qualcomm's Position

The chipmaker has earlier stated the legal action has "little merit".

A comparable case against the tech giant is currently underway in the Canadian courts, and the firm has also earlier been fined by the EU for antitrust breaches.

The Federal Trade Commission in the United States took legal action against the firm for unfair practices in the way it authorized use of its innovations during the year 2017, but had its case rejected in the year 2020.

Importance of the Legal Action

The CEO of the watchdog stated: "This trial is a major milestone. It illustrates how the collective strength of consumers - represented by the group - can be used to require the major firms to answer should they abuse their dominant position."

The chipmaker is one of the world's biggest producers of smartphone chips and has been subject to claims about unfair practices before.

• Eligible handsets include Apple Inc. & Samsung products purchased between 2015 and 2024.
• The total payout being sought is £480 million.
• Each compensation is expected to be approximately seventeen pounds.
• The case is proceeding at the CAT in London.