ManyMacsAgo

Licensing terms in exchange for having their parents made part of the 4G standard. So you can’t really avoid all of them, assuming they’re valid. But then they turned around and tried to take a percentage of total device value as licensing. So if Apple offers a better screen or battery and charges more, Qualcomm expects more money too for the exact same part and function. Apple says that’s not fair, reasonable, and considering Apples unique place in the industry, not non-discriminatory either. Neither side will budge and it’s a fundamental difference of opinion. If Apple loses, all devices which implement any modern spec will become a minefield of patent percentages. Usually there isn’t that clear a bad guy, but here it’s pretty clear it’s Qualcomm acting against the industry and public good. Hopefully they lose soon and hard. 

Not only are the licensing terms not fair, reasonable nor non-discriminatory, but there is the whole "double-dipping" thing, which is what a lot of companies and governments around the world are disputing with Qualcomm, it's not just Apple disputing...

Essentially, Qualcomm wants to license BOTH the assembling company for the part (Foxconn, etc), AND the device company (Apple) for the same part. Normally, a license for a part covers its use in whatever it is put into. Apple accounts for licensing, and is good with that, but just once -- either Foxconn gets the bill and passes it onto Apple, or Apple gets the bill. But Qualcomm shouldn't be doing both.

Apple's complaint to Qualcomm about that was partly how Apple got some rebate from Qualcomm (but Apple had to "agree" to let Qualcomm be the exclusive supplier of modems as well). Then Qualcomm withdrew the rebates (1B per year) over Apple testifying in someone else's case against Qualcomm (in S Korea, I think).

iMessages are end-to-end encrypted can Apple really provide access to them if I don’t have an iCloud backup?

No. It can't provide the contents of such messages. 

But it will provide iMessage capability query logs pursuant to an 18 USC §2703(d) court order.

If you have selected to back up iMessages to iCloud, then Apple can provide the contents. What do you think happens when you get a new iPhone and do a restore from an iCloud backup? All your iMessages get restored as well.

If you're really concerned about security you wouldn't back anything up to iCloud and do local encrypted backups to your computer via iTunes. Just be aware that if you lose the password for your encrypted backup you lose your data. Apple can't recover an encrypted iTunes backup.

For me I have just about everything set to backup to iCloud. The convenience of having a continuous and up-to-date backup (plus having items shared between devices) far outweighs my worries that the police or other agency are going to ever need to read my iMessages.

credibility. The fact that FTC is getting testimony from Apple and other manufactures saying Qualcomm is a monopoly shows the flaw in the FTC case. Apple suing because of the price that has been previously agreed upon by Apple and come to know the only reason that both companies agreed to the deal is because Apple demanded a $1 billion "incentive payment" to secure the deal. Apple will and always eat alive their suppliers.

Oh, and btw - https://www.sullcrom.com/district-court-holds-that-frand-commitment-does-not-require-licensing-at-chip-level

profitable as possible. Remember Cook is a financial guy, not an inventor like Jobs' was. His job is to always present Apple in the most favorable light with regards to financial health.  And don't forgot all those leaches at the stock market that believe everything Bloomberg and other's right and then panic like little school girls and dump 100s of millions of shares. Plenty of blame to go around.

divisiveness in the U.S. amongst the citizenry, which has intensified as of late. He declined to elaborate on the matter.