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Approximately 30 million individuals in the Britain who bought an Apple or Samsung smartphone between the year 2015 to the year 2024 could be eligible to approximately £17 per claimant if a consumer campaign group prevails in its lawsuit against the American corporation Qualcomm Inc..

Trial Commences On Monday

The consumer group is taking the tech giant to the CAT in the UK capital now.

The trial between the consumer group and Qualcomm is projected to run for five weeks.

The body is accusing the chip company of restrictive behavior.

The allegation is that the firm forced Apple & Samsung to pay excessive costs and licensing fees for essential phone parts, which then pushed up the cost of those devices for consumers.

Key Points the Legal Action Will Decide

The trial beginning this week will focus on whether the chipmaker possessed market power and, if proven, whether it exploited a leading role.

If the consumer group is successful in its claim, there will be a second stage seeking £480 million from Qualcomm, to be divided between an projected 29 million British consumers involved.

The body is claiming compensation for all impacted Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics mobile phones bought between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The watchdog estimates this would likely work out at about £17 per individual.

Earlier Allegations and Qualcomm's Statement

Qualcomm has earlier claimed the legal action has "no foundation".

A similar legal action against Qualcomm is in progress in Canada, and the company has also earlier been penalized by the EU for antitrust breaches.

The FTC in the United States sued the company for anti-competitive behavior in the way it sold rights to its technology during the year 2017, but had its case rejected in 2020.

Importance of the Trial

The chief executive of the watchdog commented: "This trial is a significant event. It demonstrates how the collective strength of the public - represented by our organization - can be used to require the biggest companies to answer if they misuse their leading role."

Qualcomm is one of the world's biggest producers of handset semiconductors and has faced accusations about restrictive conduct previously.

• Affected smartphones include Apple and Samsung Electronics models acquired between October 2015 and the start of 2024.
• The claimed amount requested is £480 million.
• Each payment is expected to be about £17.
• The case is being held at the specialist court in the UK capital.