Qualcomm and Apple have renewed their global patent license agreement, which will take effect on April 1, 2027. Qualcomm made this announcement this morning in a brief press release.
Qualcomm did not disclose financial details, the agreement's duration, or royalty rates; it merely confirmed the renewal of the patent license agreement between the two companies. In 2017, Qualcomm sued Apple for allegedly infringing on its modem patents with modems Apple was developing in-house. The case was settled out of court in 2019, with Apple agreeing to pay Qualcomm licensing fees totaling nearly $5 billion over a 6+2 year period.
The extension of the licensing agreement is likely linked to Qualcomm technology used in Apple's C2 modems for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo in markets outside the United States. Qualcomm modems are currently used in these devices only within the United States.
