Some Google Pixel phones are getting banned in Japan: Here’s why

Pixel

Some Google Pixel phones are now officially banned in Japan and it’s all because of a patent dispute.
A Japanese court has ruled that Google’s Pixel 7 series violates a patent owned by Korean company Pantech, according to ET news. The patent is about a key bit of technology used for 4G communication specifically, how signals are sent between a phone and the network. In simple terms, it deals with how a phone receives acknowledgment signals from a mobile tower, which is essential for stable LTE (4G) connections.

The court wasn’t too happy with how Google handled the case either. In fact, the judge called Google’s response “insincere.” As a result, Google is now banned from selling, displaying, transferring, or importing Pixel 7 devices in Japan.

But it doesn’t end there. Pantech isn’t stopping with the Pixel 7 series. The company is also pushing to extend the ban to Google’s newer Pixel 8 and even the upcoming Pixel 9 series. Whether that will actually happen is still uncertain.

For now, the impact seems limited since the Pixel 7 is already an older device. But if the ban extends to newer models, it could seriously hurt Google. Japan has become one of Google’s best-performing markets for Pixel phones, especially after the success of the Pixel 7 series and the mid-range Pixel 7a in 2023.

Interestingly, Pantech isn’t even an active smartphone maker anymore. The company has suspended its mobile business but is now focusing on patent enforcement, likely with the help of a firm called IdeaHub, which specializes in monetizing patents.

This could turn into a much bigger headache for Google if further bans go through especially in a market where Pixel phones are actually doing really well.