Apple to address Chinese iPhone ban with software update
After a Chinese court issued a preliminary injunction against certain iPhones for infringing on Qualcomm patents, Apple on Friday said it plans to resolve the issue with a software update expected for release next week.
Apple's iPhone 6s is among the models affected by the Chinese ban.
In a statement issued to Reuters, Apple said an update will roll out next week "to address any possible concern about our compliance with the order" handed down by Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court in China this week.
"Based on the iPhone models we offer today in China, we believe we are in compliance," Apple said. "Early next week we will deliver a software update for iPhone users in China addressing the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case."
Qualcomm earlier this week said it won a preliminary injunction against certain iPhone models -- iPhone 6s through iPhone X -- that shipped with iOS 11. The company successfully argued Apple's previous-generation mobile operating system violates owned IP covering resizing photographs and app management on a touch screen.
The chipmaker intends to leverage the same patents against Apple's latest iPhone XS and XR, but Apple contends the IP does not apply to iPhones running iOS 12.
Details of Apple's iPhone update are not yet available. It can be presumed that Apple will provide customers a path to upgrade to a more recent version of iOS, one that does not incorporate infringing technology. Whether users will be forced to download the update is not clear.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While the court sided with Qualcomm, enforcement of the iPhone ban requires time. In a statement to AppleInsider earlier this week, Apple said all iPhone models remain up for sale in China following the court decision.
"Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world," Apple said. "We will pursue all our legal options through the courts."
To that end, Apple filed a request for reconsideration with the Chinese court, a move that will further stall the pending injunction.
Apple's iPhone 6s is among the models affected by the Chinese ban.
In a statement issued to Reuters, Apple said an update will roll out next week "to address any possible concern about our compliance with the order" handed down by Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court in China this week.
"Based on the iPhone models we offer today in China, we believe we are in compliance," Apple said. "Early next week we will deliver a software update for iPhone users in China addressing the minor functionality of the two patents at issue in the case."
Qualcomm earlier this week said it won a preliminary injunction against certain iPhone models -- iPhone 6s through iPhone X -- that shipped with iOS 11. The company successfully argued Apple's previous-generation mobile operating system violates owned IP covering resizing photographs and app management on a touch screen.
The chipmaker intends to leverage the same patents against Apple's latest iPhone XS and XR, but Apple contends the IP does not apply to iPhones running iOS 12.
Details of Apple's iPhone update are not yet available. It can be presumed that Apple will provide customers a path to upgrade to a more recent version of iOS, one that does not incorporate infringing technology. Whether users will be forced to download the update is not clear.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While the court sided with Qualcomm, enforcement of the iPhone ban requires time. In a statement to AppleInsider earlier this week, Apple said all iPhone models remain up for sale in China following the court decision.
"Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world," Apple said. "We will pursue all our legal options through the courts."
To that end, Apple filed a request for reconsideration with the Chinese court, a move that will further stall the pending injunction.
Comments
If the ban does go into effect, buyers of XS, XS Max, and XR get better resale value for their older phones.
Or, the whole thing blows over.
Meanwhile, Apple buys back AAPL which earns more that 2X a ten year t-bill.
Sources inside Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company advised to AppleInsider on Friday morning that "We are certain that iOS 12 is non-infringing, but the fix that we will apply early next week will make it more obvious."
Yet after saying that they're rolling out a Chinese-specific update (I expect to remove the offending functions altogether but that's not even to the level of an educated guess), and covering their bases in case they're called "out" anyway by asking Pegatron how much iPhone manufacturing they could take on.
Apple might be right in feeling that iOS12 as it stands is not infringing. I totally 100% agree Apple might be right...
but apparently that's not as clear and evident as they initially proclaimed since they plan to make a change just for China in hopes it makes this go away.
If they can convince the Chinese Courts that their software changes made everything all good then that's proof they were right. On the other hand....
Everything will be much clearer by the middle of next week if not sooner.
Apple also compensated Xerox PARC with a pre-IPO Apple stock deal. Stealing? Not even close to that old myth.