Latest news with #7Pro
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First Post
27-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Why did Japan ban Google's Pixel 7 phones? Could more models follow?
Google's Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have been banned in Japan after a court ruled they infringed on patented 4G technology owned by Korea's Pantech. The decision, spurred by Google's 'insincere' conduct in court, could soon extend to Pixel 8 and 9 models — threatening Google's rise in one of its strongest international markets read more The new Pixel 9 smart phone series is displayed at a Made by Google event in Mountain View, California, US, August 13, 2024. File Image/Reuters Japan's Tokyo District Court has ordered a ban on the sale, import, advertisement and even public exhibition of Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones. The court found that the devices infringed on a patented communication method used in 4G LTE networks — a judgment that poses broader implications for Google's hardware future in one of its most promising international markets. The lawsuit, initially filed by South Korean company Pantech, centres around a patent related to how mobile phones interact with base stations by sending and receiving 'acknowledgement signals' (also referred to as ACK) — a mechanism essential to ensuring stable data transmission in 4G environments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This highly specific functionality is integrated deeply into the internal operation of smartphones that utilise LTE connectivity. Pantech, though no longer a player in the global smartphone hardware business, still holds a portfolio of active standard-essential patents (SEPs). More from Explainers Best True Wireless (TWS) Earbuds under Rs 12,000 in India on World Music Day 2025 The firm claims that Google implemented its technology in the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro without acquiring the necessary license to do so. The Tokyo court agreed, concluding that Google's actions were in violation of Japanese patent law. The ruling affects not only commercial sales but also bans the advertising, importation, transfer, and public display of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The devices can no longer be distributed through retail channels or showcased by Google and its partners within Japan. Google's courtroom conduct criticised by judge Beyond the technical patent issue, the court's judgement was shaped by its assessment of Google's demeanour during the legal process. The presiding judge issued a sharp critique of the company's behavior, describing its approach as 'insincere.' This characterisation reportedly influenced the severity of the court's response, leading to an outright ban rather than a financial penalty or mediated settlement. The allegation of insincerity carries significant weight in Japanese legal culture, where cooperation and transparency are highly valued during litigation. According to ET News, this might have set the tone for a far more restrictive ruling than initially anticipated. Patent holder Pantech no longer makes phones, but it's not out of the game Pantech was once a relatively well-known South Korean smartphone brand in the late 2000s and early 2010s. However, as brands like Samsung and LG dominated the market, Pantech eventually exited the mobile handset space. Despite this, it retained its intellectual property, including patents integral to wireless communication technologies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In recent years, Pantech has transformed into what is often described as a 'patent monetisation business.' It is now focused on enforcing its existing intellectual property rights through the courts, often targeting major players in the tech industry. The company's legal campaign is being supported by IdeaHub, a firm that specialises in identifying, acquiring, and monetising valuable technology patents. Previous legal actions by Pantech and IdeaHub have been brought against several companies, including OnePlus, Niantic (the developer behind Pokémon Go) and smartphone manufacturer BLU. In some of those cases, settlements were reached; in others, court victories were secured. The Japan ruling against Google marks one of the more high-profile outcomes of this strategy. Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 could be next in line While the immediate ruling applies only to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, both Pantech and IdeaHub have already moved to initiate further legal proceedings targeting the newer Pixel 8 line and the Pixel 9 series. Though the Japanese courts have yet to issue a verdict on those models, legal filings indicate that the same patent is being cited as the basis for the expanded injunction request. If the ban extends to these newer models — which are actively being marketed or are expected to be launched later this year — the consequences could be significantly more damaging for Google. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unlike the Pixel 7 series, which is approaching three years since its release, the Pixel 8 is still part of Google's current product lineup. The Pixel 9, meanwhile, is expected to be the centerpiece of the company's upcoming product cycle. For now, Google has not confirmed its next steps. The company could appeal the decision, negotiate a licensing agreement with Pantech and IdeaHub, or design future devices in a way that avoids the patented technology altogether. Why this ruling matters in Japan matters to Google Japan is not just any market for Google. Over the past few years, it has emerged as one of the few countries outside of North America where Pixel smartphones have made significant inroads. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a, in particular, were instrumental in helping Google gain market share in Japan. According to data from Counterpoint Research, Japan surpassed the United States in Pixel shipments during the first quarter of 2023. The popularity of Google's smartphones in Japan has even allowed the company to briefly overtake Apple and become the second-largest smartphone brand in the country. This success was largely fuelled by the reception of the Pixel 7 series and the mid-tier Pixel 7a, which appealed to Japanese consumers through factors like price, camera capabilities and Google-exclusive software features. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With this sales momentum now threatened by ongoing legal uncertainty, analysts warn that even the perception of instability around the Pixel brand could cause a decline in consumer trust and purchasing behaviour — regardless of whether the newer models eventually face a formal ban. How dormant patents are creating new challenges for tech giants The Google-Pantech dispute is part of a growing trend across the tech industry — where older, dormant patents are being resurrected and enforced, often by companies that no longer play a direct role in the production of devices or services. Legal experts suggest that this tactic, while controversial, is becoming increasingly common as former hardware firms seek new ways to profit from their IP portfolios. The enforcement of standard-essential patents (SEPs) is particularly contentious. These patents relate to fundamental technologies — such as 4G/LTE protocols — that are critical for interoperability. Because of this, such patents are typically expected to be licensed under FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) terms. However, when a licensing deal fails or is not sought at all, it can open the door to litigation and potential sales bans. In the case of Google, Pantech alleges that the company never acquired a proper license for the patented LTE communication technique. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Tokyo District Court's agreement with this claim, paired with its criticism of Google's courtroom behaviour, indicates that Japanese courts are taking such IP matters seriously — and are willing to issue sweeping bans even when the claimant no longer actively produces related products. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
Tom's Guide
26-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
iPhone 20 could bring back true full-screen phones — but I still miss the ones we had 6 years ago
One of the biggest rumors right now is that Apple may finally be able to release a full-screen phone without any kind of interruptions — though it's not a change likely to happen before the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. Specifically, the iPhone 20's screen would have no notch and no cutout, just a pure edge-to-edge panel with cameras and other sensors hiding below the surface. But a bunch of people out there, particularly Android users, will know that full-screen phones already exist — or at least they did back in the day. Thanks to pop-up selfie cameras, various phones (mostly from Chinese brands) were able to offer a full-screen experience without having to make space for a camera. Unfortunately it didn't last, and I've always felt that was a huge missed opportunity — even if the disappearance of those phones was completely expected. The first time I used a pop-up camera phone for any significant length of time was with the OnePlus 7 Pro — which was released way back in 2019. While the OnePlus phones of that era had their flaws (camera quality being the big one), the screen on the 7 Pro was absolutely superb. Okay, so it was curved, and it hasn't aged well compared to recent screens, but it was an excellent screen for its time. Large, bright, high resolution, and with that uninterrupted display. Up until that point, OnePlus phones either had giant bezels or a notch — and this was a sign that we wouldn't have to deal with giant chips taking up parts of our screen. In fact, the screen is good enough and the design flat enough that I still use the OnePlus 7 Pro every time I want to play my games consoles remotely. The OnePlus 7 Pro camera itself was a motorized pop-up shooter, which emerged from the upper left corner of the phone, almost like a submarine's periscope. The system work remarkably well, as switching to the front camera automatically initiated the mechanism that made the selfie cam spring into action. Different manufacturers had different ideas on how to implement this. Motorola had a camera that popped up out of a vertically-aligned rear camera bar, while Vivo had a top-mounted system with two selfie cameras hidden away. Samsung even released a phone that let you use the rear camera for selfies — with the camera popping up and rotating when in use. It was a very weird and wonderful time for phones, because phone makers weren't just copying each other. They were coming up with their own ideas for how pop-up cameras should work, all with the goal of maximizing screen space. Plus, unlike the first wave of under-display cameras we've seen, there was no compromise on camera quality. And that's one thing I'm skeptical of iPhone 20 pulling off properly. Sadly the full-screen experience didn't stick around for long. In the case of OnePlus, the 7 Pro was one of only two pop-up camera phones OnePlus released. The OnePlus 7T Pro featured its own pop-up camera, but the eventual the OnePlus 8 Pro came at a time when hole-punch cameras were becoming all the rage. Evidently the phone industry had opted for a simpler option — even if it wasn't perfect from a screen-space point of view. There's never really been one specific reason named for the failure of pop-up cameras, as best I can tell. But there has been plenty of speculation, and the reasons people have come up with are pretty reasonable when you think about it, regardless of how much you'd have preferred a full-screen phone. Durability was often cited back as a concern at the time, especially with relation to water resistance and the apparent difficulties in waterproofing a pop-up camera mechanism. That said, OnePlus promised the 7 Pro was water resistant, even though it lacked an official IP rating. What manufacturers were keen to point out is that the mechanisms that raised and lowered the camera weren't the problem. Even before the phones were on sale, it was emphasized that the mechanisms had been built and tested to the point they could be used hundreds of thousands of times without issue. In the three years I had a OnePlus 7 Pro, I never had any issues with the camera mechanism not working when it needed to. Even now, almost five years after I stopped regularly using that phone, the camera still works flawlessly. Obviously all that effort to create a mechanized selfie camera and ensure that it's not going to break within the phone's lifespan takes a lot of time and money. And that's before you consider how a hole-punch camera can do the same job without any of the moving parts that cost time and money to develop. On top of that hole-punch cameras take up far less space — and space in phones is often at a premium. In fact, a teardown of the OnePlus 7 Pro by iFixit shows just how much space the pop-up camera mechanism actually needed —almost an entire corner of the phone, as it turns out. Considering headphones jacks were officially removed from a bunch of phones for space-saving reasons, it's no surprise that pop-up cameras were, too. If a hole-punch selfie camera is cheaper, easier to implement and takes less space, then that's the option phone makers are going to take. As much as I understand why pop-up cameras never really caught on, I still can't help but reminisce about how nice it was to have a phone with an uninterrupted display. So it's certainly exciting to see that it could happen again. Even though, if I had my way, they'd have never gone away in the first place. If Apple does offer that same seamless screen in the iPhone 20, I am here for it. While I have my doubts about the potential quality of an under-display camera, I sincerely hope that Apple has already thought of that. Because the last thing we need is the full-screen phone renaissance being ruined by crappy selfies. Though, who am I kidding: A lot of big phone companies are just going to copy whatever Apple does regardless.
