iPhone and Samsung users could get compensation as Qualcomm lawsuit goes to court
Millions of UK iPhone and Samsung users could receive part of a £480 million payout if a Which? lawsuit accusing Qualcomm of inflating smartphone prices succeeds.
iPhone and Samsung users in the UK could be entitled to compensation worth part of a £480 million payout.
Consumer group Which? filed a class action against chipmaker Qualcomm, which alleges the company breached UK competition law between October 2015 and January 2024 by abusing its dominant position in mobile chipset and patent licensing markets.
The case, now being heard at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, claims Qualcomm charged inflated fees to manufacturers including Apple and Samsung, which were then passed on to consumers through higher handset prices.
The claim seeks to represent an estimated 29 million iPhone and Samsung Galaxy users across the UK.
If successful, affected consumers could automatically receive compensation - potentially without needing to file individual claims - once eligibility is confirmed.
Lisa Webb, Which?’s consumer law director, said the group was pursuing the case to hold Qualcomm accountable.
She said in a statement: “We believe Qualcomm’s practices have artificially driven up the cost of smartphones, leaving consumers out of pocket for years.”
Qualcomm has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case “baseless” and saying its licensing practices comply fully with UK and international competition law.
The trial is expected to last five weeks, focusing initially on whether Qualcomm’s conduct breached competition rules.
A second phase would determine how much damage was caused and the scale of consumer redress.
If Which? wins, it would be one of the largest consumer compensation cases in UK tech history - and could set a precedent for how chipmakers’ pricing affects everyday users.
