Background: Why a UK antitrust case matters
Nearly 30 million UK smartphone owners who bought an Apple or Samsung device between 2015 and 2024 could receive about £17 each if the consumer campaign group Which? wins its case against Qualcomm. The dispute centers on whether Qualcomm abused its market power in licensing essential smartphone components, potentially driving up costs for consumers.
The legal action and what it seeks
Which? is taking Qualcomm to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, with proceedings set to begin on Monday. The five-week trial will determine whether Qualcomm held a dominant position in the relevant markets and, if so, whether it exploited that power through anti-competitive licensing practices.
If Which? succeeds, the next phase would quantify and distribute up to £480m in damages to the affected consumers. The case targets purchases of Apple and Samsung smartphones made between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.
How the damages would be calculated and who could claim
Which? argues that inflated licensing fees for key components—driven by Qualcomm’s control of the chips market—were passed on to consumers in higher handset prices. The proposed payout of about £17 per person would be an average, reflecting the large cohort of affected buyers across the country.
Qualcomm’s position and related cases
Qualcomm has previously denied any antitrust wrongdoing. The company has faced scrutiny in other jurisdictions, including a fine from the European Union for antitrust concerns and a separate case in Canada. A U.S. Federal Trade Commission case from 2017 was dismissed in 2020, but litigation over licensing practices continues elsewhere.
What this means for UK consumers and the tech market
The outcome could reshuffle how licensing deals are negotiated in the smartphone supply chain and set a precedent for consumer-led redress in large, transnational tech disputes. If the tribunal finds in favor of Which?, it would demonstrate the power of collective claims to hold major technology firms to account in the UK and potentially influence similar actions abroad.
What to watch next
Key issues include whether Qualcomm truly held market power in the relevant licensing domains and whether that power was abused through anti-competitive terms. The court’s decision will shape not only the damages landscape but also the framing of licensing agreements for essential components in future device production.
