Qualcomm Accuses Apple of Helping Intel Using Qualcomm Software

[techwhiz]

Samsung already does, but they still buy Qualcomm.

If Apple and Qualcomm cannot come to an agreement then Apple should stop using Qualcomm modems. Are they under some legal obligation to use them?

Nope, but anybody building a modem has to pay Qualcomm.
There is no way to do CDMA or LTE without paying Qualcomm.
They invented the technology that makes not only CDMA and LTE possible but some aspects of WiFi also.

 

[kdarling]

Nope, but anybody building a modem has to pay Qualcomm.

And not just Qualcomm.

Phone makers also have to pay Nokia. And LG. And InterDigital. And Alcatel. And Huawei. And ZTE. And Samsung. And AT&T. And Verizon. And DoCoMo. And Ericsson. And Motorola. And a lot of other companies who contributed towards the various standards.

Qualcomm is just the latest in a congo line of suppliers and patent holders whom Apple has attempted to coerce into giving lower prices over the past decade. And they're not afraid to try to use courts to help do that.

It's all about profit margins. Apple wants theirs kept high, which means their suppliers' margins need to be much lower