£480m payout might be on account of UK Apple and Samsung smartphone customers

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Your assist makes all of the distinction. Learn extra A major class motion lawsuit in opposition to tech big Qualcomm, which may see tens of millions of UK smartphone customers obtain payouts, is about to begin this week.

Client advocacy group Which? has initiated the declare on behalf of roughly 29 million Apple and Samsung customers throughout the UK.

The authorized proceedings, scheduled for 5 weeks from 6 October at London’s Competitors Enchantment Tribunal, will initially scrutinise whether or not Qualcomm held substantial market energy and, crucially, if it exploited this dominant place.

Ought to this primary part show profitable for Which?, a subsequent trial would then deal with Qualcomm’s particular conduct and the damages incurred by the affected customers, which the group estimates at round £480 million.

Which? alleges Qualcomm breached UK competitors regulation by making the most of its dominance within the patent-licensing and chipset markets.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/25/9/03/GettyImages-2210288541.jpeg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/25/9/03/GettyImages-2210288541.jpeg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/04/25/9/03/GettyImages-2210288541.jpeg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Which? has initiated the claim on behalf of approximately 29 million Apple and Samsung users across the UK" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Which? has initiated the declare on behalf of roughly 29 million Apple and Samsung customers throughout the UK (Getty Photos) It claims that this resulted in Qualcomm having the ability to cost producers comparable to Apple and Samsung inflated charges for expertise licences, which have then been handed on to customers within the type of increased costs or lower-quality smartphones.

Which? is in search of damages for all affected Apple and Samsung smartphones bought between October 1 2015 and January 9 2024.

It estimates that particular person customers might be due a mean of round £17 per cellphone if the motion is profitable.

Which? mentioned the motion was “important” to acquire redress for customers and to “ship a transparent message to highly effective firms like Qualcomm that in the event that they interact in dangerous, anticompetitive practices, Which? stands able to take motion”.

Which? chief govt Anabel Hoult mentioned: “This trial is a large second. It reveals how the ability of customers – backed by Which? – can be utilized to carry the most important firms to account in the event that they abuse their dominant place.

“With out Which? bringing this declare on behalf of tens of millions of affected UK customers, it will merely not be sensible for folks to hunt damages from the corporate on a person foundation – that’s why it’s so necessary that buyers can come collectively and declare the redress they're entitled to.”