Overview
- The Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf found that Datteln did not justify naming a single manufacturer and must reissue the tablet tender as product‑neutral.
- The city had planned to buy roughly 665 new Apple tablets to match an existing Apple environment, a decision the court called too broadly justified.
- Procurement is paused and local officials say replacing out‑dated devices will be delayed by several months, leaving pupils without new tablets for the near term.
- Samsung welcomed the ruling after challenging the tender, arguing that public buyers must not exclude competitors and that open contests protect fair competition.
- The decision sets a legal test that could prompt similar challenges across Germany as municipalities prepare large device replacements and access funds from Digitalpakt 2.0.