Source: iMore
What you need to know
- Apple has been ordered to pay $506 million by an Eastern District of Texas jury.
- It has been found guilty of infringing upon patents held by PanOptis and related companies.
- The patents relate to the use of LTE in iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.
Apple has been ordered to pay a cool $506 million to PanOptis and related companies over the use of patents that it hasn't paid a licensing fee for. Those patents relate to the use of 4G LTE technology in Apple's iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.
Not only was Apple found guilty of infringing upon the patents, but according to a Law360 report, it was also accused of doing so "willfully".
The Eastern District of Texas jury said Apple failed to prove any of PanOptis' challenged patent claims are invalid, and then said Apple willfully infringed the patents. The $506.2 million number is a royalty for past sales, according to the verdict form.
Apple has already said that it plans to appeal, saying that " lawsuits like this by companies who accumulate patents simply to harass the industry only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers."
For their part, PanOptis and its companies say that they tried to come up with a deal with Apple that would allow it to acquire the licensing needed to avoid the dispute. Apple wasn't interested, however.
The case itself, interestingly, was the first in-person jury trial related to patents to take place in the United States. Not that it will matter to Apple when it's checking the back of Tim Cook's sofa for a spare $506 million.

Beta testers will likely wait until July to get their hands on iOS 16
If all goes according to previous years we can expect Apple to release the first developer beta of iOS 16 on June 6, the same day that it will be announced. That's the date of the WWDC22 opening keynote but those who are part of the public beta program look set to be waiting a little while longer.

Verizon is hiking its wireless prices from June
Verizon is hiking the price of its wireless plans from June 16 in what it calls an “economic adjustment charge,” according to reports.

Review: Apex Legends Mobile is almost an entirely different game
Apex Legends Mobile has been in the works for a while, promising players a battle royale experience on the go. While it certainly does deliver on that portable shooter experience, it manages to separate itself from its source — for better or worse.

Lighting is crucial to photos — get the best shot with these portable LEDs
Shine a light on your phone’s snapshots with these iPhoneography accessories!