Apple vs. Qualcomm Jury Includes Retired MLB Pitcher and Woman Who's Never Owned a Smartphone

Apple's high-profile trial against chipmaker Qualcomm kicked off in San Diego federal court on Monday with jury selection.

apple v qualcomm
Among the nine jurors selected are a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, a woman who has never owned a smartphone, a retired clinical psychologist, a pilot, an accountant, a retired nurse, and an environmental consultant, according to reports from CNET and Bloomberg.

Opening statements will be heard today. Apple has accused Qualcomm of anticompetitive business practices by way of demanding excessive patent royalties, while Qualcomm alleges that Apple manufacturers Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron, and Compal owe it more than $7.5 billion in unpaid royalties.

Apple already won a preliminary judgment ordering Qualcomm to pay nearly $1 billion in withheld rebates last month.

Qualcomm has already faced scrutiny from antitrust regulators in multiple countries, including the United States, where an FTC lawyer said "evidence is overwhelming that Qualcomm engaged in exclusionary conduct, and the effects of Qualcomm's conduct, when considered together, are anticompetitive."

Amidst the legal battle, Apple dropped Qualcomm as a supplier of cellular modems starting with last year's iPhone XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, and ‌iPhone‌ XR, switching to Intel for all modems in those devices.

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
89 months ago
Among the nine jurors selected are a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, a woman who has never owned a smartphone, a retired clinical psychologist, a pilot, an accountant, a retired nurse, and an environmental consultant, according to reports from CNET ('https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-v-qualcomm-jury-includes-pilot-former-mlb-pitcher-nurse/') and Bloomberg ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-16/apple-qualcomm-jury-includes-woman-who-s-never-owned-smartphone').
Bahahaha, I love how every other jury member is described by their occupation whereas this poor lady gets "never owned a smartphone."

"Sure, I never own a smartphone, but I moonlight as having never owned a game console. The pay is decent, but neither of these occupations were by any means recession-proof."
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
89 months ago
So? It doesn't matter if she's never owned a smartphone, as long as she has an understanding of patent laws. If anything, this means she'll be unbiased.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4487549 Avatar
89 months ago
this show will be better than any of their original programming
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikaru Avatar
89 months ago
I legitimately envy the woman who’s never owned a smartphone. They’ve turned society into a bunch of zombies.
Sure!

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
palmerc2 Avatar
89 months ago
I legitimately envy the woman who’s never owned a smartphone. They’ve turned society into a bunch of zombies.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tobefirst ⚽️ Avatar
89 months ago
I legitimately envy the woman who’s never owned a smartphone. They’ve turned society into a bunch of zombies.
You're free to give yours up anytime you want, you know.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)