Apple makes software changes to iOS to avoid ban on iPhones in China

Apple has made small changes to its software for iPhones to avoid a ban on their sales in China.

A Chinese court had earlier banned the sale and import of most iPhone models after granting Qualcomm an injunction against Apple. Qualcomm claimed that Apple violated two of its patents.

To avoid the ban, Apple released a small update to iOS this week, The Verge reported on Wednesday, adding that iOS version 12.1.2 contains software changes exclusive to China.

In a bid to avoid Qualcomm patent around app management, the update changes the animation for when an app is forced to close, according to MacRumors.

Rather than moving up and off the screen, apps now appear to shrink into themselves when swiped closed, the report said.

Apple and Qualcomm are suing one another in courts across the world. Apple has also appealed against the Chinese court ruling.

It accused Qualcomm of playing dirty tricks, including asserting a patent that had already been invalidated by international courts, and other patents that it had never before used.

"Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world," Apple said in a statement last week.

The ban does not cover the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Plus or iPhone XR, which were not yet available when Qualcomm filed its lawsuit.