The legal battle between technology giants Qualcomm and Arm is set to return to court in February 2026. Unlike a previous case that ended in Qualcomm’s favor, Arm is on the defensive this time. The case centers on allegations of breach of contract related to a licensing agreement. Qualcomm’s amended complaint includes serious allegations about Arm’s actions, further straining the relationship between the two companies.
Qualcomm has sought permission from the court to renew its amended complaint against Arm in January. The new complaint includes more details about Arm’s alleged breach of contract and information about Arm’s rumored chipset, which contradicts previous court testimony by Arm CEO Rene Haas. The allegations allege that Arm interfered with Qualcomm’s customer relationships and violated the terms of the licensing agreement.
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One of Qualcomm's main allegations is that ARM misrepresented its business model. Instead of operating as an architecture design firm, ARM is trying to shift into the role of a chip manufacturer, Qualcomm alleges. This has led to licensees being viewed as competitors. A Financial Times report has revealed information about ARM making its own chips, which calls into question Haas's "we don't make chips" statement.
Another allegation is that ARM's actions have hindered Qualcomm's business. Qualcomm argues that ARM misled Qualcomm's customers by misleading them into believing that their custom CPUs would have to be destroyed. In addition, the complaint alleges that ARM failed to respond to Qualcomm's requests to extend its existing licensing agreement and refused to license it at a reasonable price.
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Qualcomm had previously won a favorable ruling in a case that upheld its right to make chips using Orion CPU cores. Although ARM attempted to appeal, it later admitted that they were unlikely to succeed. For now, Qualcomm continues to make chips on the Snapdragon X platform, including the budget-friendly Snapdragon X chipsets. The court ruling also secured the right to make second-generation Snapdragon X chips.
While the trial is unlikely to directly affect Qualcomm's chip manufacturing, the future of its licensing relationship with ARM is uncertain. Qualcomm has made similar allegations against ARM in other countries. Since ARM declined to comment on the case, the court ruling in 2026 could be crucial in determining the fate of the relationship between the two companies.