Bought a Samsung Phone Before 2024? You Could Get a Share of £480M Payout

Did you buy a Samsung Galaxy phone between 2015 and 2024? If so, you might be in for a bonus if UK consumer group Which? wins its case against Qualcomm. Which? claims that Qualcomm charged Samsung and Apple higher fees for essential phone components, and those extra costs were passed on to customers. This means your phone might have cost more than it should have.

Qualcomm may have to pay up to £480 million to those who bought Samsung or Apple phones

The legal action began in 2021 and was allowed to move forward in 2022. The trial starts this week in London at the Competition Appeal Tribunal and is expected to run for about five weeks. If Which? wins, Qualcomm could be ordered to pay up to £480 million ($647 million). That money would be shared among UK Samsung and Apple customers who bought phones between 2015 and 2024.

So, how much might you be able to make if you bought a Samsung phone?

For Samsung users, the payout is expected to be around £17 ($20) per person. It is not a huge amount, but every little bit helps. You do not need to do anything to claim it since participation is automatic if your phone is part of the case. The Samsung phones covered range from the Galaxy A5 to the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Apple devices are also included in the case, but this payout will mostly focus on Samsung buyers.

Which? says the trial is important for consumers. Chief executive Anabel Hoult told BBC that “this trial is a huge moment. It shows how the power of consumers… can be used to hold the biggest companies to account if they abuse their dominant position.”The case will determine whether Qualcomm’s fees were unfair and if UK Samsung buyers are owed compensation.