Google Pixel 7 sales banned in Japan, Pixel 8 and 9 might follow
Pantech filed a lawsuit against Google, arguing that the tech giant used the exact same technology described in a patent belonging to Pantech. The patent relates to how the LTE modem in Pixel phones communicates with the cell towers. The patent, however, wasn't licensed under fair and reasonable conditions.
As a result, the Tokyo court ruled that Pixel 7 phones should be removed from the shelves since Google refused to cooperate. The company refused to pay a reasonable royalty fee and also refused to provide data on the number of Pixel 7 phones sold in Japan.
The Japanese market is very important for Google because it is the second-largest smartphone vendor in the country after Apple, surpassing the likes of Samsung and Xiaomi.
Pantech is now filing another lawsuit against Google, targeting the more recent Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series, so unless the two companies reach a compromise these two might face the same fate.
Source 1 | Source 2
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GSM Arena
17 minutes ago
- GSM Arena
iPhone 17 Pro reiterated to start with 256GB storage
Michail, 13 August 2025 Ever since the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple has persistently offered the same 128GB baseline storage. According to a report from last week, the iPhone 17 Pro is about to change that by doubling up to 256GB this year, and the same source has now doubled down on his claims. iPhone 17 Pro dummy units Weibo user Instant Digital is confident that Apple will upgrade the base storage on its upcoming small iPhone Pro. The device is expected to get a $50 price hike as a result, which means it should start at $1,049. It remains to be seen if the price hike will be proportional in other regions. Source (in Chinese)
Phone Arena
an hour ago
- Phone Arena
Forget Liquid Design, we need this super useful feature on the next iPhone
We often focus on flashy new features while overlooking smaller, more practical innovations that can genuinely improve our daily phone experience. Apple's new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, for instance, feels like a visually impressive update that doesn't fundamentally change how we use our phones. It's a prime example of style over substance. I was reminded of this in my recent experience switching to Honor's Magic 7 Pro, where I found the opposite approach. The UI focuses on functional improvements rather than on flashy new effects. Quick reminder: Honor was created by Huawei in 2013 as a sub-brand focused on online-first sales. It catered to young buyers and value seekers, sharing the same software as Huawei, but differentiating on the hardware. When the US placed Huawei on its Entity List in May 2019, it lost access to Google Mobile Services (GMS). This affected sub-brands like Honor. Without the Google Play Store or Google apps, Honor phones were far less a year later, in November 2020, Huawei sold Honor to a consortium led by Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co., Ltd., backed by the Shenzhen government and private entities. This was the moment Honor became officially independent and free from the US sanctions. And in 2021, Honor phones were back on sale with the Google Play Store and full access to GMS. Since then, the concept of the company also changed. It's now releasing premium phones and while its software still looks very Huawei-like, it has some unique features. What really caught my attention was how folders work on Honor phones. Rather than having one small icon that you tap to open, you have a box you can freely expand with smaller icons inside. Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. This is a game-changer. The size of each icon is a bit smaller, so it's much easier to fit lots of icons in a small space, and still be able to easily tap them open, without having to first tap to expand the folder. What I've done with this is placing all of my Google apps in one folder, so I have like a dozen of Google services within easy reach. I previously had to search in the app drawer to find each one, and I just love this. It's a very elegant way to skip the extra step of opening a folder to find an app. It's disappointing to see the big names like Samsung and Apple work on some elaborate designs for their user interface without providing true customization options that could elevate your experience. These "super folders" are just one example, but far from the only one. Another very useful feature on Honor phones is a quick drag-and-drop tool for photos. When you long press an image, a sidebar of relevant apps appears, allowing you to easily drop the photo to Instagram and share it as an IG story. These types of quality-of-life upgrades seem to be a common focus on phones from Chinese brands, which often appear laser-focused on functional experience, not just visual appeal. I am not saying that the software of Honor phones is perfect (it's not), but there are so many great ideas across various UIs that just never make it to Samsung phones or iPhones. There is simply not enough pressure for these big companies to innovate faster, and that results in more or less the same software every year. No wonder people are starting to get bored after a while. Get 50% off – try it for 3 months today! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
GSM Arena
2 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 receiving One UI 8 beta
Siddharth, 13 August 2025 Earlier this month, Samsung confirmed that the Android 16-based One UI 8 beta program will be available for Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6, and Z Flip6 users in several regions. As promised, the South Korean giant has now started to roll out the public beta update to users. Samsung Galaxy S24 series users in the UK and South Korea are now able to join the One UI 8 Beta Program and receive the Android 16-based software update, as per tipster Tarun Vats. The beta build is available for Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra unlocked variants. The update carries the build number S926BXXU9ZYH3/ S926BOXM9ZYH3/S926BXXU9CYH3 based on the region and is about 3.2 GB in size. The update includes the latest August 1 Android security patch as well. Users in the US and India should also be receiving the update soon. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 are also receiving the One UI 8 beta update in South Korea. To install the One UI 8 beta update on eligible devices, users will first have to download the Samsung Members app and login using their Samsung credentials. A banner for the program should then be visible for those who're in the supported regions. After enrolling for the program, users will see the update in the Software update page. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 256GB 12GB RAM $ 973.32 $ 973.32 512GB 12GB RAM $ 929.97 The One UI 8 Beta program will be available for more devices including the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Fold5, and more in September. Notably, the stable update should start rolling out to select phones in September as well. Source 1 • Source 2
