Which? withdraws £480m smartphone claim against Qualcomm after trial

Consumer group applies to drop case on behalf of 29 million UK smartphone owners with no compensation to be paid.

Consumer group Which? is applying to withdraw its £480 million collective action against US telecoms company Qualcomm after concluding the Competition Appeal Tribunal will rule against the claim following a five-week trial.

The case, brought on behalf of an estimated 29 million British smartphone owners, alleged that Qualcomm charged Apple and Samsung inflated fees for its technology, which pushed up the cost of smartphones for consumers.

The parties have now reached a “drop-hands settlement” under which no compensation will be paid to consumers. The agreement requires approval from the Tribunal.

A Which? spokesperson told Consumer Voice: 

“We can confirm that the parties have agreed a drop-hands settlement under which no compensation will be paid to the class. The settlement requires the approval of the Tribunal, and as this is an ongoing process, we cannot comment further at this time.”

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What the claim alleged

In 2021, Which? brought an opt-out collective action against Qualcomm on behalf of UK consumers who purchased Apple or Samsung 4G smartphones between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024.

The consumer group alleged that Qualcomm, which supplies chipsets to smartphone makers and licenses its patented technology, refused to supply its chipsets to Apple and Samsung unless those companies paid inflated royalties to use its patents.

Which? claimed this practice enabled Qualcomm to charge artificially high fees, which were then passed on to consumers through higher smartphone prices. The claim sought over £480 million in damages for affected consumers.

A five-week trial was held between October and November 2025, during which the Tribunal heard evidence from Qualcomm’s senior executives, industry participants and economists.

Why Which? is withdrawing the claim

Following the trial, Which? has concluded, based on the evidence and arguments presented, that the Tribunal will find that:

• Qualcomm did not coerce Apple, Apple’s chipset manufacturers or Samsung to sign any patent licences or chipset agreements
• Qualcomm did not leverage its position as a chipset supplier to coerce these companies to agree to any licensing terms
• Qualcomm’s licensing and chipset practices did not infringe competition laws, did not result in inflated royalties and did not lead to an increase in prices consumers paid for their mobile phones

The agreement between the parties means Which? will now apply to the Tribunal for permission to withdraw the proceedings in their entirety, with no payment by Qualcomm to Which? or the class members.

What this means for smartphone owners

UK consumers who purchased Apple or Samsung 4G smartphones between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024 were automatically included in the claim as an opt-out collective action. This means they were represented by Which? unless they actively chose to opt out.

With Which? now withdrawing the claim, no compensation will be paid to any of the estimated 29 million class members. The withdrawal is subject to approval by the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

The smartphone claim was one of two high-profile collective actions launched by Which? in recent years as the UK’s consumer champion. The other – an ongoing case relating to Apple’s iCloud services – has yet to be certified, and we previously reported on it here.

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