Samsung’s Wireless Charging Might Be at Risk
Wireless charging, what a revolutionary concept. I often forget where my charging cables are since I can simply place my phone on a pad and let it do its thing. However, if you own a Samsung phone—like I do—you may want to prepare for some unsettling news. A recent patent dispute could leave your phone staring back at you, sighing, and refusing to charge wirelessly.
Mojo Mobility Takes Aim at Samsung
In 2022, Mojo Mobility—whoever they are—decided they could no longer tolerate Samsung’s alleged appropriation of their ideas. They brought a lawsuit, asserting that Samsung infringed on *five* of their US patents. These patents supposedly cover most of Samsung’s wireless charging capabilities seen in their phones since 2016 (and likely in other devices like smartwatches and earbuds too).
Rather than resolving this amicably like most of us would over a drink, Samsung told Mojo to take a hike. Mojo had been trying to license their technology to Samsung since 2013, but Samsung refused and opted for court instead. The outcome? Samsung officially lost the case on September 13th, with the court declaring they “willfully infringed” Mojo Mobility’s wireless charging patents. Ouch.
A Heavy Penalty or the End of Wireless Charging?
Want to hear something amusing? The judge believes Samsung owes Mojo a staggering $192,136,029. That’s some serious cash for seemingly copying somebody else’s homework and branding it as their own. Now, Samsung faces a tough choice: fork over the cash or ditch wireless charging in upcoming devices.
If they decide against paying, Samsung may need to innovate some new technology to stay compliant with the law. Or, heaven forbid, they might simply eliminate it entirely. Can you imagine? It’d be like reverting to the Stone Age, plugging a cable into your phone each night. No thanks!
Could They Deactivate Wireless Charging via an Update? Seriously?
Here’s a distressing thought: Samsung *could* disable wireless charging on CURRENT devices with a sneaky firmware update. Yep, that would certainly spoil everyone’s day. It’s improbable, but as reported by **Phone Arena**, it’s not entirely off the table. Just what I always wanted.
So when you see “update available,” don’t just mindlessly hit that “install now” button. You may be losing more than your battery life this time…
Samsung’s Ongoing Affection for East Texas
By the way, this isn’t Samsung’s first experience in the Eastern District of Texas. For reasons I won’t even begin to comprehend, this court has become the go-to place for patent litigation. If you’re eager to claim someone’s money for a patent issue, this is the place to be. Some refer to it as “patent trolling,” but let’s be real, it seems like every billionaire tech company gets ensnared in these antics.
Samsung itself faces a new US patent lawsuit approximately every five days. FIVE. DAYS. I wouldn’t be shocked if their legal team has accumulated plenty of frequent flyer miles to East Texas by now. Fun fact: Samsung even sponsored an ice-skating rink near the courthouse in Marshall, Texas. You know, for *totally unrelated* reasons, nudge nudge.
It’s an Ongoing Legal Circus
Samsung isn’t just sitting idly, though. They’ve got a legion of lawyers and a mountain of patents at their disposal. It’s quite likely that Samsung will appeal this ruling and drag the situation out for months—or even years—before we regular folks notice any significant changes. Let’s be real, they’ll probably settle everything with Mojo over a hefty check, and we’ll continue charging wirelessly as if nothing ever happened.
Summary: Best Be Prepared with Your Charging Cables… Just in Case
All this legal drama might force Samsung to cough up some cash for Mojo Mobility, or we might face a future where wireless charging is discontinued. There’s an outside chance they could even disable it on current phones via an update, so stay vigilant regarding those notifications. Ultimately, it’s all a bit chaotic, but I suspect we probably won’t notice too much—just another day in the tech industry playing legal hopscotch.
