https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-chinas-sales-ban-apple-214851602.html

Apple claims the injunctions have limited impact on its Chinese business because it only affects iPhones that operate on older versions of iOS, which could potentially violate the patents Qualcomm has through China’s patent office. In a statement, Qualcomm said its patents enable consumers to adjust and reformat the size and appearance of photographs, and to manage applications using a touch screen when viewing, navigating and closing applications on their phones.

Apple argues iPhones currently found in stores in China have been running iOS 12, which does not violate Qualcomm patents. iOS 12 changes the way users resize photos and manage applications on their screens that allows Apple to get around the Qualcomm patents.