Apple & Samsung Customers May Be Eligible for a Piece of a £480m Payout in the Britain

Approximately 30 million people in the United Kingdom who acquired an Apple or Samsung Electronics handset from the year 2015 to the year 2024 may be entitled to around 17 pounds per claimant if a buyer campaign group prevails in its legal action against the US technology firm Qualcomm.

Legal Action Commences On Monday

The campaign is taking the firm to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital this week.

The trial between the watchdog and Qualcomm is expected to continue for five weeks.

The group is claiming the semiconductor firm of unfair competition.

It claims that the company forced Apple Inc. & Samsung to pay inflated prices and patent charges for critical mobile hardware, which then increased the price of those smartphones for consumers.

What the Trial Will Decide

The legal proceedings starting this week will examine whether the chipmaker held control and, if so, whether it misused a powerful stance.

If the consumer group is victorious, there will be a second stage seeking £480 million from Qualcomm, to be distributed among an projected 29 million British phone owners affected.

The organization is claiming compensation for all affected Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics smartphones acquired between October 1, 2015 and January 9, 2024.

The organization states this would almost certainly work out at about £17 each.

Past Legal Challenges and The Firm's Response

The chipmaker has earlier stated the case has "no basis".

A comparable claim against Qualcomm is ongoing in Canada, and the company has also in the past been sanctioned by the European Union for anti-competition practices.

The Federal Trade Commission in the US filed a case against the corporation for restrictive tactics in the way it authorized use of its innovations in the year 2017, but had its claim thrown out in the year 2020.

Impact of the Legal Action

The head of the organization commented: "This case is a significant event. It illustrates how the power of buyers - backed by us - can be used to make the largest corporations to be accountable when they exploit their leading role."

The firm is one of the leading suppliers of smartphone chips and has encountered accusations about anti-competitive behaviour in the past.

• Eligible handsets include Apple Inc. and Samsung products acquired between October 2015 and 2024.
• The overall compensation demanded is £480 million.
• Individual payout is projected to be approximately 17 pounds.
• The case is taking place at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital.