Iphone X 8 And Four Ipads Face Likely Ban In South Korea Could Be Saved By Samsung

The iPhone X, iPhone 8/Plus and four different iPad models are facing a potential import ban in South Korea over a patent infringement claim. Korean authorities say that no decision has yet been made, but that the ruling is ‘likely’ to go against Apple.

Ironically, however, Apple may end up being saved by the intervention of rival smartphone supplier Samsung …

KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, claims to hold a patent over a form of transistor technology used in Apple’s A-series chips. The technology, known as FinFET, is a form of 3D transistor used in many modern processors.

Business Korea reports that the Korean government has indicated the expected outcome of the investigation.

The dispute is not over whether Apple’s chips use FinFET technology, but rather whether or not the patent is valid. The potential good news for Apple is that the validity of the patent is also being challenged by Samsung – which uses the same tech in its chips.

The targets include iPhone 8, iPhone 8+, iPhone X, iPad 9.7, and 9.7-, 10.5-, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro

So we could end up with the rather amusing situation of Samsung saving the day for Apple.