Rumor: Samsung to sue Apple over LTE-compatible next-gen iPhone

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Citing "ranking officials," The Korea Times on Monday reported that Samsung is preparing to sue Apple for using 4G LTE patents in its next-generation iPhone shortly after the smartphone's expected launch this week.

Presumably, Samsung doesn't know the final specifications of the sixth-generation iPhone, including what baseband chip Apple is employing in the new handset, but many believe 4G LTE compatibility is an inevitability given the state of the smartphone market. A report on Friday noted the so-called "iPhone 5" would feature worldwide LTE, though compatibility will reportedly be limited to certain markets and carriers.

The rumor echoes a previous report from the same publication that said Samsung would "immediately sue Apple if the latter releases products using advanced long-term evolution (LTE) mobile technology." Apple has already released a 4G device in the third-generation iPad which made its debut six months ago.

"It?s true that Samsung Electronics has decided to take immediate legal action against the Cupertino-based Apple," an unnamed Samsung official told The Korea Times. "Countries in Europe and even the United States ― Apple?s home-turf ― are our primary targets."

Galaxy S III

Samsung's 4G LTE-enabled Galaxy S III. | Source: Samsung


While Apple holds over 400 LTE-related patents from its February purchase of Nortel IP, Samsung is a clear market leader with over 800

"Apple claimed the existing 3G-related patents are standard essential patents (SEPs) according to our earlier commitment to the FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms," said another Samsung executive. "But the story is totally different when you talk about LTE patents. These are new and highly-valued."

The report comes on the heels of an alleged confirmation from unnamed sources that local mobile operators would be carrying Apple's next-generation iPhone on its 4G network, strongly hinting that the smartphone would be LTE-compatible. If the iPhone 5 does support 4G LTE networks, it will be facing competition from Android-based devices like Samsung's own flagship Galaxy S III, which recently passed the iPhone 4S to become the top-selling smartphone in the U.S.

It is unclear if the rumors are true, however Apple and Samsung are locked in a worldwide patent dispute, and the South Korean company has pulled from its extensive wireless patent portfolio to counter suits from the iPhone maker.

Apple is widely expected to unveil its newest handset at a special event on Wednesday, with a product rollout thought to follow on Sept. 21.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 82
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member


    Standardized Patent usage.  Fair competition laws that allow the use of LTE if more then one company owns patents related to such technology.  Laws should state that if Apple owns 400 patents and Samsung owns 800 then they both should be forced to allow the usage of those patents without repercussions of legal battles.  There has to be a happy medium.  Really this is getting so stupid.  This looks like the cold war between US and Soviet Union.  It's getting so bitter that I am beginning to really see samsung as the Soviet Union trying to manipulate and control the legal system just so they can build handsets and tab's to discredit the innovator Apple.

  • Reply 2 of 82
    I love how Samsung claim they 'Innovate, not litigate', now they're preparing litigation over something which they don't even know exactly what they're litigating for
  • Reply 3 of 82
    Not so wild about this new AI format. Why don't you release an app instead of making the text so big?
  • Reply 4 of 82
    OK, it's one thing for Apple to sue when Samsung blatantly copies their look, feel, design
  • Reply 5 of 82
    OK, it's one thing for Apple to sue when Samsung blatantly copies their look, feel, design

    Where's the rest of your post? Why shouldn't Samsung be able to protect its LTE patents? They worked hard creating it and they'll probably eventually become SEP and FRAND but aren't as of yet.
  • Reply 6 of 82
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    Where's the rest of your post? Why shouldn't Samsung be able to protect its LTE patents? They worked hard creating it and they'll probably eventually become SEP and FRAND but aren't as of yet.




    they can, but Apple also owns 400 patents on LTE so really it's a wash.

  • Reply 7 of 82
    THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT. FUCK SAMSUNG. LTE is SEP and FRAND, now that the best selling phones use it, and if it's not, it should be. THIS IS SUCH BS.
  • Reply 8 of 82


    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post

    Where's the rest of your post?


     


    It's implied.






    Why shouldn't Samsung be able to protect its LTE patents?



     


    They are. The chip manufacturer is already paying the FRAND price to make them. Apple does not have to pay Samsung again to use said chips in their devices.

  • Reply 9 of 82
    jungmark wrote: »

    they can, but Apple also owns 400 patents on LTE so really it's a wash.

    Since when is 400 vs 800 a wash? I think Samsung's patents are overseas patents, making a LTE phone in the states is allowed but once it becomes worldwide that's a problem.
  • Reply 10 of 82
    If Samsung is successful at stopping the iPhone5, what will they copy? ;-) -RJ
  • Reply 11 of 82


    Apple developed about 46 themselves and acquired the rest of those patents from not only Nortel but Freescale, who both help lead the development of LTE. That may say something about the value of Apple's LTE patents. Apple will also most likely use Qualcomm's chips. Worst case Apple will use those LTE patents they own to sue Samsung back.. 

  • Reply 12 of 82
    misamisa Posts: 827member
    wurm5150 wrote: »
    Apple developed about 46 themselves and acquired the rest of those patents from not only Nortel but Freescale, who both help lead the development of LTE. That may say something about the value of Apple's LTE patents. Apple will also most likely use Qualcomm's chips. Worst case Apple will use those LTE patents they own to sue Samsung back.. 

    To be fair, some patents are SEP, as in you can't make a working LTE chip without them, and some patents are pure software, which are still SEP, but are easy to "turn off" and degrade performance to 3G. If either company succeeded in suing each other for SEP LTE patents that were entirely software, they could just turn off the LTE and keep on selling the device. It's the patents that make up the hardware part that actually could result in a ban on the device.

    Take the patents for the USIM for example. The SIM card size may involve patents, but they could also just use the original shape and size and avoid it altogether. Patents on the CDMA technology are one of the reasons Qualcomm is practically the only manufacturer of 3G and later chips to begin with. As it is, it is impossible to make a cell phone without stepping on SEP's because of the 20 year life a patent has. What was the mobile phone network like in 1992? More like "There were mobile phones in 1992?" Those technologies are being shut down (AMPS, 1G TDMA and CDMA, 2G GSM and 1X) so their frequencies can be reused for 4G. If you wanted to make a cell phone that didn't use any patents, there would be no mobile phone network it would work on.
  • Reply 13 of 82
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    jungmark wrote: »

    ... Apple also owns 400 patents on LTE so really it's a wash.

    Since when is 400 vs 800 a wash? .....

    Is this what they teach at Apple University? Wow, what a great innovation !!!
  • Reply 14 of 82
    It's implied.

    They are. The chip manufacturer is already paying the FRAND price to make them. Apple does not have to pay Samsung again to use said chips in their devices.

    They aren't FRAND yet, Samsung holds 13% and Apple has 5% of LTE patents, the rest are held by a host of others including HTC. They could very well make things difficult for Apple.
  • Reply 15 of 82
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    Here is what I don't get. Apple is going to be using a 4G/LTE chipset that is designed and mfg by another mfg. I don't understand what the problem is. Doesn't the company that actually makes the freaking chip the one that has to pay licensing to others if they legally have to? Apple's not designing their own chipset for 4G/LTE capability, but just building in another mfg., in this case Qualcomm.

    And Qualcomm's chipset, that Apple might be using also does 4G/LTE Advanced.

  • Reply 16 of 82


    Originally Posted by edwardkim View Post

    Is this what they teach at Apple University? Wow, what a great innovation !!!


     


    Is what what they teach? Be careful.

  • Reply 17 of 82
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    Since when is 400 vs 800 a wash? I think Samsung's patents are overseas patents, making a LTE phone in the states is allowed but once it becomes worldwide that's a problem.




    Easily, it's not the number. If Sammy can ask for 2.5% for all their SEP, Apple can counter-sue for 2.5% for their SEP.

  • Reply 18 of 82
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    Looks like two can play the (rather senseless) litigation game...
  • Reply 19 of 82
    I would like to know how one can have hundreds of patents on a single type of technology? Are they counting countries, with one patent each?
  • Reply 20 of 82


    I thought that these patents were paid for in the price of the chips Apple bought from the manufacturer.  If so, how can Samsung sue them when they already paid?  If not, can someone tell me which LTE patents Samsung owns that are not part of the chip price and are not FRAND/SEP?  Thanks in advance.

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