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Approximately thirty million consumers in the UK who acquired an Apple Inc. or Samsung Electronics smartphone between the year 2015 to the year 2024 may be entitled to about seventeen pounds per person should a buyer campaign group wins in its legal action against the US tech giant Qualcomm.

Legal Action Commences This Week

The consumer group is escalating the tech giant to the CAT in London now.

The case involving the consumer group and Qualcomm is expected to continue for around 35 days.

The group is accusing the tech firm of restrictive behavior.

The allegation is that the firm pressured Apple Inc. & Samsung to pay inflated prices and licensing fees for critical handset components, which then pushed up the price of those devices for users.

The Details the Legal Action Will Decide

The case commencing now will look into whether the chipmaker had market power and, if proven, whether it exploited a leading role.

If the consumer group is victorious, there will be a follow-up phase requesting 480 million pounds from the tech firm, to be distributed among an projected 29 million British phone owners impacted.

The consumer group is seeking damages for all impacted Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics mobile phones purchased between 1 October 2015 and early January 2024.

The watchdog states this would probably amount at around seventeen pounds per person.

Previous Legal Challenges and The Firm's Response

The company has in the past claimed the case has "no basis".

A similar claim against Qualcomm is currently underway in Canada, and the company has also in the past been penalized by the EU for anti-competitive breaches.

The Federal Trade Commission in the US took legal action against the firm for restrictive tactics in the way it authorized use of its patents back in 2017, but had its claim rejected in 2020.

Significance of the Trial

The head of the watchdog commented: "This trial is a huge moment. It illustrates how the influence of the public - backed by the group - can be used to make the biggest companies to be accountable should they misuse their leading role."

The firm is one of the world's biggest producers of mobile processors and has encountered accusations about restrictive conduct previously.

• Affected devices include Apple & Samsung Electronics phones purchased between October 2015 and the start of 2024.
• The total payout requested is £480 million.
• Individual payment is expected to be around £17.
• The legal action is proceeding at the CAT in London.