Halloween DealsAmazon USHalloween week deals: useful picks before month-endAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix NowHalloween DealsAmazon USOctober picks are moving - compare before checkoutAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to the guide
THE FINANCEBASE List yours

Guide

Xiaomi and Ericsson Ended Their Five-Year Patent Dispute With a Global License in 2019

By TheFinanceBase Team 4 min read

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The Xiaomi–Ericsson patent litigation that began in India in December 2014 was reported resolved on October 15, 2019, when the companies signed a global patent-licensing agreement. That ended the reported dispute, but it was a negotiated resolution—not a public court ruling that either company had won. The financial terms and detailed scope of the license were not disclosed in the available reporting.

What Ericsson alleged

Ericsson sued Xiaomi in the Delhi High Court, alleging infringement of eight patents concerning cellular communications, including technologies associated with ARM, EDGE and 3G standards. Ericsson’s case concerned standard-essential patents (SEPs): patents said to be necessary to implement a technical standard. The allegations were claims in litigation, not a final finding that Xiaomi infringed every asserted patent.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

SEP disputes can involve several distinct questions: whether a patent is essential to the standard, whether a device practices the patented invention, whether the patent is valid or already licensed, and whether the proposed license complies with any fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) commitment. FRAND is a licensing obligation, not a formula that automatically produces one agreed royalty rate. Ericsson describes its own approach to the subject in its FRAND licensing position; that is the company’s perspective, not a judicial account of the Xiaomi agreement.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Why the case mattered in India

India was the venue for the main reported proceedings and a consequential market for Xiaomi. In December 2014, the Delhi High Court initially restricted the manufacture, import, promotion and sale of certain devices alleged to infringe Ericsson’s patents. The restrictions also affected local e-commerce arrangements, including Flipkart, and involved reporting on sales. An order affecting imports or sales can create immediate commercial pressure even while patent and licensing issues remain unresolved.

#1 Best Overall
XIAOMI Poco X8 PRO MAX 5G Ai (Compatible with Tmobile Mint Tello & Global) (512GB + 12GB) 6.83" 50MP Gamers Phone NFC Dual sim Unlocked Model 2602BPC18G Liberado (Black)
  • USA MARKET ONLY WORK ON TMOBILE BOOST MINT TELLO OR ANY UNDER TMOBILE NETWORK PHONE NEEDS A SIM CARD ALREADY ACTIVATED ,OUTSIDE USA WORKS ANY GSM CARRIER SIM GSM FCC ID: 2AFZZPC0AG
  • Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM) (NO MICRO SD) 5G: 5G SA: n1/2/3/5/7/8/20/26/28/38/40/41/66*(70M)//77/78/485G NSA: n1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66*(70M)/77/784G LTE TDD: B38/40/41/42/484G LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/66*(70M)/713G WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/6/8/192G GSM: 2/3/5/8Supports 4x4 MIMO*5G SA/NSA N66(70M) and 4G B66(70M): UL 1710MHz~1780MHz, DL 2110MHz~2180MHz*5G connectivity may vary based on region availability and local operator support.
  • 6.83" 1.5K 120Hz ultra-bright AMOLED displayResolution: 2772 x 1280Contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1Refresh rate: Up to 120Hz*Refresh rate can be adjusted to up to 120Hz for supported apps.Peak brightness: 3500 nits covering 25% display areaHBM brightness: 2000 nitsTypical brightness: 800 n: 2560Hz*480Hz touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.*2560Hz instant touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.12-bit color depth, 68 billion colorsDCI-P3 wide display 2.0HDR10+TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution) CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Flicker Free CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly CertifiedDolby VisionCorning Gorilla Glass 7i
  • MediaTek Dimensity 9500s3nm manufacturing process1 x Cortex-X925, up to 3.73GHz3 x Cortex-X4, up to 3.3GHz4 x Cortex-A720, up to 2.4GHzImmortalis-G925 MC11NPU 890 - 8500mAh (typ)100W HyperChargeUSB Type-C charging portUp to 27W reverse chargingSupports PD3.0/PD2.0Smart charging
  • Wi-Fi Protocol: Wi-Fi 7/ Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 5/ Wi-Fi 4 and 802.11a/b/g*Wi-Fi 7/Wi-Fi 6 capability may vary based on regional availability and local network support. Wi-Fi connectivity (including Wi-Fi frequency bands, Wi-Fi standards and other features as ratified in IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications) may vary based on regional availability and local network support. The function may be added via OTA when and where applicable.WLAN frequency: 2.4G Wi-Fi | 5G Wi-FiSupports Multi-Link Operation, 2x2 MIMO, 8x8 Sounding for MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, MiracastBluetooth 6.0, Dual-BluetoothSupports SBC / AAC / LDAC / LHDC 5.0 / LC3 / ASHA / AuracastNFC

The court later allowed sales of certain Qualcomm-based smartphones under a temporary arrangement reported as a ₹100 deposit into court per device—about US$1.41 at the time. That was a temporary court condition, not the eventual royalty or price of the 2019 license. The reported treatment of MediaTek-based devices was more restrictive. The distinction made the licensing chain for components important to which phones could be sold under the interim orders.

How Qualcomm’s licensing arrangements became important

Xiaomi argued that Qualcomm-related licensing rights covered at least some products using Qualcomm chipsets. A 2016 Delhi High Court ruling reportedly found that Ericsson had not fully disclosed relevant information about a licensing arrangement with Qualcomm and partially supported Xiaomi’s position on two patents, lifting or modifying restrictions affecting Qualcomm-based devices.

This did not establish a universal rule that a chipset maker’s patent license automatically licenses every finished phone. Whether rights pass to a downstream device can depend on the contract language, the patents and products involved, exhaustion principles and the governing law. Nor did the reported ruling resolve every claim across all patents and devices in the broader dispute. The historical account of the proceedings and interim orders is summarized in a Xiamen University case study.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #2
XIAOMI Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G Ai (Compatible with Tmobile Mint Tello & Global) (256GB + 8GB) NFC 6.83" 120Hz 200MP Pro AI Camera Model 25080RABDG Unlocked Dual Sim Liberado (Black)
  • USA MARKET ONLY WORK ON TMOBILE MINT TELLO OR ANY UNDER TMOBILE NETWORK PHONE NEEDS A SIM CARD ALREADY ACTIVATED ,OUTSIDE USA WORKS ANY GSM CARRIER SIM GSM FCC ID: 2AFZZRA29G
  • Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM) NO MICRO SD SLOT. 5G: n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/26/28/38/40/41/48/66/77/78 - 4G: LTE FDD: 1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B32/B66 4G: LTE TDD: B38/B40/B41/B42/B48 - 3G: WCDMA: B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 - 2G: GSM: B2/B3/B5/B8
  • 6.83" AMOLED displayResolution: 1.5K (2772 x 1280)Refresh rate: Up to 120HzTouch sampling rate: Up to 480HzInstantaneous touch sampling rate: 2560Hz*Activated in Game Turbo modeBrightness: 3200 nits peak brightnessBrightness: HBM 1800 nitsColor depth: 12bitContrast ratio: 8000000:1DCI- P3 wide color gamut447PPICorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Sunlight displayHDR10+ | Dolby Vision16,000-step automatic brightness adjustment3840Hz PWM dimming|TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution) Certified | TÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly Certified | TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certified
  • MediaTek Dimensity 7400-Ultra4nm manufacturing process technologyCPU: Octa-core processor, up to 2.6GHzGPU: Mali-G615
  • 200MP main cameraOptical Image Stabilization (OIS)0.56μm, 16in1, 2.24μmf/1.77P lens1/1.4" sensor size8MP ultra-wide cameraf/2.2Rear camera video recording4K at 30 fps1080p at 30/60 fps720p at 30 fps / Front Camera 20MP front camera1/4" sensor sizef/2.24P lensFront camera video recording1080p at 30/60 fps720p at 30 fps

Why the dispute lasted until 2019

The case did not end with the initial restrictions. In December 2015, Ericsson reportedly said the lawsuit remained ongoing and that Xiaomi needed authorization to use its patents. Reports of reconciliation appeared in 2018, but Ericsson China later said the lawsuit was still in progress. Informal indications of progress therefore did not amount to a completed settlement.

The dispute involved both the scope of Ericsson’s patent claims and the effect of licensing through Qualcomm, while interim restrictions threatened sales. Those circumstances can make negotiated licensing commercially important, but the public account does not establish which considerations determined the final agreement.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What the October 2019 agreement established

Contemporaneous reporting dated October 15, 2019 said Ericsson confirmed to patent-licensing publication IAM that Xiaomi had signed a global patent license agreement with it, with the resolution connected to proceedings before the Delhi High Court. The agreement was reported as ending the five-year litigation. The date is supported by that reporting; a later secondary source gives 2018, but that conflicts with the October 2019 account. See GizChina’s report on the agreement.

Rank #3
XIAOMI 17T PRO Ai 5G (Compatible with Tmobile Mint Tello & Global) (512GB + 12GB) NFC Global ROM Unlocked 50MP Triple Pro Leica Cam eSIM 6.83" 144Mhz Model 2602EPTC0G Liberado (Black)
  • International Model - No Warranty in US. USA ONLY COMPATIBLE WITH TMOBILE / MINT, TELLO GLOBAL VERSION . ****** Does NOT Work With Verizon Sprint Boost Metro Pcs At&t Cricket ***** . Unlocked Worldwide . - FCC ID: 2AFZZPNFAG
  • Dual Nano sim 5G + eSIM (No micro SD support): 5G: Supports NSA + SA5G: 5G SA: 1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/26/28/38/40/41/48/66/75/77/78 5G NSA: n1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66/75/77/78: 4G: LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/32/66/71 4G: LTE TDD: B38/39/40/41/42/48: 3G: UMTS: B1/2/4/5/6/8/192G: GSM: B2/3/5/8 Supports 4x4 MIMO
  • Leica Summilux optical lensVARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.67-3.0/15-115 ASPH.Leica 23mm main camera50MPLight Fusion 9502.4μm 4-in-1 Super Pixelf/1.67OIS23mm equivalent focal lengthLeica 115mm periscope telephoto50MPf/3.0OIS115mm equivalent focal lengthLeica 15mm ultra-wide camera12MPf/2.215mm equivalent focal length120º FOV Rear camera video recording8K (7680 x 4320) video recording at 30fps4K video recording at 120fps p (190+ (1280 x 720) video recording at 30fpsLog video recording up to 4K at 30fps, 60fpsSlow-motion video recording:- 720p at 120fps, 240fps, 480fps, 960fps, 1920fpootSteady
  • 6.83" 144Hz eye-care AMOLED displayCorning Gorilla Glass 7iResolution: 1.5K, 2772 x 1280, 447 PPIRefresh rate: Up to 144Hz refresh rate*Touch sampling rate: Up to 480Hz, 3500Hz instantaneous*Color gamut: 100% DCI-P3Color depth: 12bit, 68 billion colorsBrightness: 600 (typ), 2000 (HBM)Peak brightness: 3500nits (UHBM) @APL25 dimmingOriginal color PRO | Pro HDR | Wet Touch Technology 2.0 | Xiaomi Vision Care*HDR10+, Dolby VisionTÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution) CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Flicker Free CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Intelligent Eye Care Certified
  • MediaTek Dimensity 95003nm processCPU:1 x C1-Ultra, up to 4.21GHz3 x C1-Premium, up to 3.5GHz4 x C1-Pro, up to 2.7GHzGPU: Mali G1-UltraAI: NPU 990

A license gives contractual permission to use the covered patents on agreed terms. In practical terms, the reported deal removed the immediate litigation threat addressed by the agreement and gave Xiaomi greater certainty concerning Ericsson’s covered cellular technology. It does not, by itself, reveal whether the companies settled every disputed legal question in one side’s favor.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

The available public reporting does not disclose the royalty rate, any lump-sum or past-sales payment, exact patents or products covered, agreement duration, geographic or affiliate limits, audit provisions, or whether it included cross-licensing. “Global” is the reported description of the license, not evidence that every patent, product, entity or future dispute was necessarily covered.

What the resolution did not mean

The reported agreement ended the Xiaomi–Ericsson litigation at issue; it is not evidence that Xiaomi received rights to all cellular patents held by other companies or that no future dispute between the parties could arise over matters outside the agreement. Nor does a settlement establish that Ericsson admitted non-infringement or that Xiaomi prevailed at trial: the public reporting describes a licensing resolution, not a final merits judgment.

Xiaomi later faced separate patent disputes involving other owners, including InterDigital and Malikie Innovations. A 2026 Delhi High Court decision describes active Malikie-related proceedings involving 3G, 4G and 5G patents. Those cases concern different patent portfolios and do not show that the Ericsson agreement failed. For context on the later proceedings, see the Delhi High Court decision hosted by Indian Kanoon.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More guides

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.