Millions of people who have bought new Apple or Samsung 4G smartphones since October 2015 are likely to be included as class members in Which?'s £480 million collective claim against chip maker Qualcomm, and potentially entitled to their share of compensation.
The consumer champion believes Qualcomm, a multi-billion-dollar US tech company, has been abusing its dominant market position in breach of competition laws, resulting in smartphone manufacturers Apple and Samsung overpaying Qualcomm, with these extra costs passed on to consumers.
Which? estimates that Qualcomm has so far taken over £480 million out of UK consumers' pockets, with nearly 30 million people affected. In early 2021 Which? sought permission from the Competition Appeal Tribunal to bring an opt-out collective claim against Qualcomm on behalf of affected consumers.
