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Approximately 30 million individuals in the United Kingdom who purchased an Apple or Samsung smartphone from 2015 and 2024 could be eligible to about 17 pounds per claimant if a customer campaign group is successful in its legal action against the US tech giant Qualcomm.

Legal Action Begins Today

The consumer group is escalating the firm to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK capital this week.

The trial between the watchdog and Qualcomm is expected to continue for around 35 days.

The group is alleging the tech firm of restrictive behavior.

It claims that the company forced Apple Inc. and Samsung to pay inflated prices and patent charges for necessary phone parts, which then increased the price of those smartphones for users.

What the Case Will Determine

The trial beginning on Monday will look into whether Qualcomm possessed control and, if so, whether it abused a leading role.

Should the watchdog is successful in its claim, there will be a follow-up phase seeking £480m from the tech firm, to be distributed among an estimated 29 million UK consumers involved.

The consumer group is seeking damages for all impacted Apple and Samsung Electronics smartphones acquired between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The watchdog estimates this would almost certainly calculate at about 17 pounds per person.

Previous Legal Challenges and The Firm's Response

The company has previously claimed the legal action has "little merit".

A similar case against Qualcomm is ongoing in Canada, and the firm has also in the past been penalized by the European Union for anti-competition practices.

The Federal Trade Commission in the America took legal action against the firm for unfair practices in the way it licensed its patents back in 2017, but had its claim thrown out in the year 2020.

Importance of the Trial

The head of the watchdog commented: "This legal action is a significant event. It illustrates how the influence of buyers - supported by our organization - can be used to make the largest corporations to answer if they abuse their leading role."

The firm is one of the largest global manufacturers of handset semiconductors and has faced claims about anti-competitive behaviour in the past.

• Affected smartphones include Apple & Samsung phones bought between the end of 2015 and the start of 2024.
• The claimed amount being sought is £480 million.
• Each payout is projected to be approximately 17 pounds.
• The legal action is taking place at the specialist court in the UK capital.