Apple modifying iPhone 7, 8 to work around German injunction

Apple is modifying the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 to work around Qualcomm’s German patent injunction, reports FOSS Patents.

The report — based on info from the German website WinFuture  — says in about a month the tech giant will purportedly start shipping new variants of these smartphone models in Germany. They won’t contain Qorvo’s accused (though most likely non-infringing) envelope tracker chip, but some other chipset replacing it.

On Dec. 20, 2018, the District Court of Munich ruled that Apple is infringing Qualcomm’s patented power savings technology used in smartphones. The iPhone maker was ordered to cease the sale, offer for sale and importation for sale of all infringing iPhones in Germany. including the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. The court also ordered Apple to recall infringing iPhones from third party resellers in Germany.

This is the latest development in the ongoing legal battle. In January 2017 Apple sued Qualcomm, alleging the chip supplier demanded unfair terms for its technology (which the company, of course, denied).

Qualcomm claims it went out of its way to offer alternative licensing (which Apple rejected), and that, in suing Qualcomm, Apple is motivated by reducing the cost to make iPhones. Lawsuits and countersuits by both companies have flown back and forth since then.