Debut of Apple’s first 4G phone likely to be blighted
Korean electronics giant Samsung is to sue arch rival Apple for violating 4G technology deployed in its latest iPhone, due to be unveiled tomorrow [12th September 2012]. Reports in the Korea Times say Apple’s flagship device, version 5 of which is likely to be the first of its handsets with super-fast, long-term evolution (LTE) connectivity, or 4G, infringes one or more of the numerous patents held by Samsung in this area.It’s a technology that was largely expected to drive last year’s iPhone 4 model but Apple chose instead to go with HSPA+ which, while slightly better than 3G, is still no match for a device with 4G LTE spec and which can be 10 times as fast.
With the debut of the new iPhone only 24 hours away and early reports appearing to corroborate its 4G capabilities, Samsung is said to be preparing for “immediate legal action” against Apple – which, if successful, could prove devastating to its sales.
The US and Europe are said to be the primary battlefields earmarked for Samsung’s litigation.
The news is just the latest development in an ongoing clash between the two manufacturers in which, only a fortnight ago, Apple won a crushing court victory in California when it was ruled Samsung had infringed its designs.
US sales bans are already being sought by Apple against around a dozen Samsung devices.
But now Samsung looks to be turning the tables against its arch enemy by calling on its vast library of patents.
After Nokia, the Korean smartphone maker is the second biggest holder of 4G patents with around 12 per cent of global licences.
Good luck wining any legal action through standard essential patents. These folks just don’t get it. Judging by the kind of lawyers they hire, it seems no one explained the difference to them.
What is this. If you are not going to publish comments, then get out of the journalism thing. You can’t stand other viewpoints ?
What are you talking about, Mary? Of course we published comments that aren’t obscene or libellous.