Samsung Settles Wireless PowerShare Patent Lawsuit Over Galaxy Phones

Samsung has settled a US lawsuit that accused the Wireless PowerShare feature on Galaxy phones of infringing a wireless charging patent. According to SamMobile and Sammy Fans, Samsung, chip supplier Renesas and patent holder WiPQTUS filed a joint agreement on 10 November 2026 withdrawing every infringement claim, ending a Wireless PowerShare patent fight that began in February 2023. The financial terms have not been disclosed.

What the Wireless PowerShare Patent Case Was About

WiPQTUS Inc. sued Samsung on 14 February 2023 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (case 2:23-cv-00054). The company does not make phones. It holds patents and licenses them, which is why reports describe it as a non-practicing entity.

The patent at the centre of the case is US 10,038,339, titled "Dual mode wireless power receiver", which was granted on 31 July 2018. WiPQTUS argued that Samsung's reverse wireless charging, the trick that lets a Galaxy phone top up earbuds, a watch or another phone placed on its back, used that invention without a licence.

Which Galaxy Phones Were Involved

The complaint named a long list of Samsung flagships, according to both reports:

• Galaxy S10, S20, S21 and S22 series
• Galaxy Note 10 and Note 20 series
• Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldables

Renesas Electronics America, which supplied wireless charging chips used in these phones, joined the case to defend its parts. Samsung first introduced Wireless PowerShare with the Galaxy S10 in February 2019, and it has stayed on its premium phones ever since.

What the Settlement Means for Galaxy Owners

For anyone who owns one of these phones, nothing changes. PowerShare keeps working, and no software update is expected to remove it. The settlement happened out of court, so the judge never ruled on whether Samsung actually infringed the patent. SamMobile reports that WiPQTUS has also agreed not to bring the same claims against Samsung again.

This is not the first patent challenge to the feature. In August 2020, SamMobile reported a separate suit by Garrity Power Services over the same technology. Google's Battery Share on Pixel phones does a similar job, so reverse wireless charging is now common enough to keep patent holders interested. If you follow Samsung's business news, our report on Samsung's 69% foldable market share shows how much the Z Fold and Z Flip lines now matter to the company.

Our Opinion

This is a quiet ending, and that's good news for Galaxy owners. A loss in a Texas court could have meant damages or, in the worst case, pressure to change how PowerShare works on the phones people already own. Settling removes that risk. The trade-off is that we will never learn how strong the patent claim really was, because no judge ruled on it. Settlements like this are routine for big phone makers facing patent licensing firms. For buyers, the takeaway is simple: if reverse wireless charging is part of how you keep your Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Watch alive on a trip, keep using it. It's one of those small features that gets more useful over time.

Do you actually use Wireless PowerShare on your Galaxy phone? Tell us in the comment section below, and stay tuned to Phone Opinions for more Samsung news.

Source: SamMobile. Additional reporting: Sammy Fans. This story was originally reported by SamMobile.

FAQ

Did Samsung lose the Wireless PowerShare patent case?

No. Samsung, Renesas and WiPQTUS settled out of court on 10 November 2026, and the court never decided whether the patent was infringed.

Will Wireless PowerShare be removed from Galaxy phones?

No. The settlement ends the claims, so there is no reason for Samsung to disable or change the feature on existing phones.

Which Samsung phones have Wireless PowerShare?

It debuted on the Galaxy S10 in 2019 and has appeared on later Galaxy S, Note and Z Fold and Z Flip flagships, including every series named in this case.