🔗 Share this article Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics Users Might Be Due for a Share of a £480 million Payout in the United Kingdom Approximately thirty million people in the Britain who purchased an Apple or Samsung Electronics handset from the year 2015 and 2024 might be eligible to approximately 17 pounds each should a customer advocacy organization wins in its case against the American corporation Qualcomm Inc.. Court Case Begins On Monday The campaign is bringing the technology corporation to the specialized court in the UK capital this week. The case between the consumer group and the chipmaker is anticipated to run for around 35 days. The organization is alleging the semiconductor firm of unfair competition. The allegation is that the corporation compelled Apple Inc. & Samsung Electronics to pay excessive costs and royalty payments for critical handset components, which then increased the price of those mobile phones for buyers. The Details the Legal Action Will Decide The case beginning now will focus on whether Qualcomm held market power and, if so, whether it misused a dominant position. In the event that the consumer group is victorious, there will be a subsequent step aiming to obtain £480 million from the tech firm, to be divided between an approximate twenty-nine million UK consumers impacted. The body is pursuing restitution for all affected Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics smartphones bought between October 1, 2015 and early January 2024. The group states this would probably work out at about seventeen pounds per individual. Previous Allegations and The Firm's Statement The company has in the past claimed the claim has "no foundation". A similar claim against the tech giant is in progress in the Canadian courts, and the firm has also previously been fined by the European Union for antitrust violations. The FTC in the US sued the company for anti-competitive behavior in the way it licensed its technology during 2017, but had its case thrown out in 2020. Importance of the Trial The CEO of the watchdog stated: "This legal action is a significant event. It shows how the collective strength of the public - backed by our organization - can be used to make the largest corporations to be accountable when they exploit their market power." Qualcomm is one of the largest global producers of handset semiconductors and has encountered claims about anti-competitive behaviour previously. Eligible handsets include Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics models bought between October 2015 and 2024. The claimed amount being sought is 480 million pounds. Individual payout is estimated to be around seventeen pounds. The trial is being held at the CAT in the UK capital.