Samsung may soon have one less competitor in the US foldable market. Motorola is facing a nationwide ban after being found guilty of infringing on 5G patents held by Sony Ericsson. If the initial ruling stands, the Lenovo-owned smartphone company could be barred from selling phones in the US.
Motorola faces a ban in the US for patent infringement
A judge for the US International Trade Commission (ITC) recently ruled that Motorola infringed on Sony Ericsson’s 5G patents for smartphones. The smartphone maker allegedly violated a license agreement signed in 2011. The firm argues that the original deal allows it to use those patents in its Moto G, Edge, and Razr phones. However, none of these lineups existed back then.
Moreover, Motorola’s smartphone arm switched ownership multiple times since that agreement was signed. Even Google briefly owned the brand before Lenovo snapped it. This ITC ruling tosses aside the firm’s arguments, putting it on the verge of a nationwide ban in the US. The ITC will issue a final ruling on the matter in April 2025.
Interestingly, the two companies are also locked in patent battles across South America and the UK. Sony Ericsson has already secured preliminary court orders to ban Lenovo smartphone sales in Brazil and Colombia. However, a US appeals court in October revived Lenovo’s request for an injunction to block the enforcement of these South American bans.
It was only a brief respite for the Chinese firm. If the ITC upholds this decision in the final ruling, Motorola may not be able to sell the affected phones in the US. This means less competition for Samsung in the foldable market. While the company also makes non-folding Android phones — the Lenovo brand accounted for 14% of the US smartphone market in Q3 2024 — it has found more success with foldables.
Samsung, a long-time leader in the foldable market, has faced increasing pressure from rising competition. A potential Motorola ban could give it some much-needed breathing room. The company is currently preparing for the Galaxy S25 flagship launch in January. Its next-gen foldables — possibly four models — will arrive in the second half of 2025.
