iPhone 5 launch disruption threatened by Samsung
The closer we get to the Apple iPhone 5 unveiling at an event on Wednesday the more news and speculation we hear and we are attempting to keep you informed with all the latest on the much-awaited release. However we previously told how Samsung has pledged to sue Apple if the iPhone 5 turns up with 4G LTE connectivity and could attempt to ban the iPhone 5 from sale if this happens. Now we hear that just in case we were all thinking this might be an empty threat on Samsung’s part, the company has now repeated that an LTE iPhone 5 could lead to launch disruption.
Many of you will have followed the recent patent litigation case in the U.S. between Samsung and Apple where Apple eventually won and is now attempting to ban several Samsung products from sale. We told how Samsung had vowed to counterstrike with action and a possible injunction against the iPhone 5 if it is LTE-equipped as Samsung holds several 4G LTE patents. However the evidence at the time seemed to suggest that there was only a very slim chance of the company managing to ban the iPhone 5 and we recently posted another article telling how the iPhone 5 is more likely than ever to arrive with 4G LTE and not just for the U.S. either but for some other regions worldwide.
It certainly seems as though Samsung’s initial vow to retaliate with action against an LTE iPhone 5 hasn’t stopped Apple from forging ahead with its plans but we wonder if Samsung’s further strong words today may have any impact after all. A report on iDownload Blog tells how some Samsung executives, who have not been named, informed a publication with a Samsung-friendly leaning that key markets in Europe and even the US will be the subject of legal action if a new iPhone with LTE comes to fruition. The possibility of this threatened action could lead to real problems for Apple, who will want to avoid any disruption to the flagship device launch.
Apparently a senior Samsung executive told The Korea Times today that the instant any LTE iPhone 5 hits retail shelves the company will launch action against it. The executive, said to be “directly involved with the matter,” specifically spoke of countries in Europe and also the US as “primary targets.” Many people will admire the way that Samsung is determined to strike back at Apple as it seems that there is currently a backlash against Apple for what many people perceive to be bully-boy tactics. Although it seems that further action might appear to be futile it is perhaps significant that in another suit Apple is having real difficulties trying to invalidate a couple of LTE-based patents belonging to HTC and this could mean more chance of success for Samsung if it sues Apple again and more chance of achieving a ban on iPhone sales.
As iDownload Blog points out, it would only take one successful patent infringement strike against Apple, with all its smartphone eggs in one basket, to have a shattering effect on the company and a successful sales ban against the company would have long-lasting after-effects. Another Samsung executive has also pointed out the difference between standard essential patents and LTE patents with the latter being “new and highly-valued.” However it’s also noted that a Qualcomm chip is believed to enable LTE networking for the next iPhone and that Qualcomm already has licensed 4G technology, a point that Samsung so far seems to be conveniently ignoring.
One thing that does seem sure is that Samsung is going all out to get back at Apple although the chance of successful litigation in this case is questionable. However maybe Samsung feels it would be worth the price of a new suit against Apple if it were to cause interruption to the arrival of the iPhone 5? We’d be really interested to hear readers’ thoughts on this.
Do you think that Samsung has any chance at all in a future LTE patent battle with Apple and how far do you think Samsung should go in this endeavor? Maybe you can’t wait to get your hands on the new iPhone and feel that Samsung should back off with any legal threats? Let us know with your comments.
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12 thoughts on “iPhone 5 launch disruption threatened by Samsung”
It’s a shame but this will really fall under frand in the eyes of america’s legal system. Apple has had a feeding frenzy with frand technologies over the years but sues over rounded corners. What shape corners would you like for a device you carry and therefore are far more likely to drop? All consumers get hurt by this because it stifles competition, apple will work to rule and will adopt other companies techs under frand instead of spending some of their massive stockpile of (customer’s) cash to develop actual underlying technologies as usual. Android makers are burdened with spending cash to get around ridiculous design constraints. Apple once a beautiful company are now the bane capital of the IT industry.
Apple’s biggest trouble will be from HTC. There patents are just as strong as Samsung why because they had the first 4g device that ever hit the market over 2yrs ago in the Htc Evo 4g the granddaddy of all 4g/LTE devices. And yes Htc will SUE apple you can count on that 100% this time. Samsung will piggy bank of these problems apple could forget about this 4g iphone and make it 3g like it always has been. They can’t roll with the big boys.
Ummm hate to break it to you (not really), but the Evo 4G had Wimax radios, which are completely different from LTE radios. The only thing the Evo 4G has in common with LTE is the “4G” name which really isn’t (and never was) true 4G. Just because it was the “granddaddy” of all “4G” devices means absolutely nothing. Who’s the “uneducated simpleton” again?
@squiddy20; There is NO REAL 4G out there right now. Yes a standard sort of exists but everyone is using some 3G+ and calling it 4G.
Australia sued Apple for using 4G on iPad (3) because It wasn’t, Apple paid a fine of $2.25 Million and costs or $300,000.00 for false/misleading advertising, published articles in the papers offering refunds to unhappy purchasers and rebranded the boxes to read “WiFi + Cellular” and not 4G.
SO, if no-one is using true 4G and it is all derivative 3G based no-one should be able to sue for 4G but for 3G+ technologies.
The problem with the ipad in Australia was not that LTE wasn’t considered 4g but that the ipad did have an lte chip and they advertised it in Australia as being 4g LTE but it actually ran different bands than their network therfore it was not compatible on any LTE network there. Advertising your 4G LTE product that can’t actually run on LTE there is why they considered it to be misleading customers.
Addition to above: Yes LTE is supposedly a version of 3g, but that’s another thing. My point was just that situation was not based on them not allowing LTE to be advertised as 4g, more like don’t advertise it as LTE when LTE doesn’t work on that device at all there.
htc did have first lte device – htc thunderbolt
Yes it is a shame that it has come to this. I hope that Samsung succeeds in it’s action ans that Apple realizes that maybe suing is not a way of taking action on everything. Maybe they will cut a deal with Samsung for the Billions that they sued them for. Either way, I like Apple products and I also like Android. I would like to see a settlement and a peace treaty with Samsung and all the other manufactures so that all three OS will survive. I’m gearing more to Windows 8 this time around due to the fact that Android has a problem I think they will never recover from and it is fragmentation. Apple does not suffer from this and Windows 8 phones will to my knowledge not have these problems and the OS will be upgraded as Windows throws them out just like Apple’s.
what for you never publish because the truth hurts you
I
love it. Great article that I have read this topic, but some are large
information. For more information on some cases i want it,. Thank you.
They have a lot in this article…
Its a legal issue nd yes Samsung has whole right to protest against apple for patent
bt what i think is dat it z unnecessary, we indians has a saying dat dont worsen d wounds of an ill person..apple z alredy on hospital bed with reports on iphone5..let dem copy samsung..no one z evn interested in them
I don’t care what HTC does. They will never get my money again