Qualcomm goes for the throat, asks China to ban sales of iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and XR

Just recently, Qualcomm was successful in its attempts to ban sales of several iPhone models in China. Claiming patent infringement, Qualcomm convinced the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court in China to issue a preliminary ban on sales of the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X. But the SoC manufacturer isn’t done. Qualcomm has now filed a plea to Chinese courts requesting another injunction against Apple’s newest handsets, the iPhone XR, Xs, and Xs Max.

Apple shot back, claiming that the initial ban earlier this week only applied to devices running iOS 11, according to the Financial Times (paywall). While the court order doesn’t make specific reference to the software of the banned devices, Apple does have a leg to stand on. The initial injunction was based on Qualcomm’s claim that Apple has infringed upon two patents dealing with software. Qualcomm may have to prove that Apple continued to infringe on these patents with iOS 12, which would require another hearing.

Qualcomm seems to be on a tirade of late. After bringing suit against Apple last year in an effort to ban iPhone sales in the U.S., Qualcomm came under fire from companies such as Intel for anti-competitive behavior. Qualcomm retaliated with a campaign touting how much better their wireless modems are than Intel’s.

While there is the possibility that the legal fire growing in China may soon bleed into Western countries, it should be known that Qualcomm has already lost anti-competitive cases against it in several nations.

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