TECH NEWS – A nineteen-million dollar fine has been handed to Apple for not selling one of its popular products in the South American country with an additional item in the box. (In Brazil, imported hardware is expensive by default, so consoles are not cheap there either…)
Reuters reported that a Brazilian court had fined Apple $19 million in damages (or, in their words, “social damages”) for not packaging a charger with iPhones sold in the country. The company started doing this practice in 2020 when it unveiled the iPhone 12 range, and since then, the tech company has been in the crosshairs of the South American country.
The decision appears to have been made by the Brazilian association of borrowers, consumers and taxpayers, AMBCC, which reasoned, “It is evident that, under the justification of a ‘green initiative,’ the defendant imposes on the consumer a required purchase of charger adaptors that were previously supplied along with the product.” Apple chose to dispose of the charger to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which the company claims will result in less electronic waste (with billions of mobile phones ending up in the trash every year…).
Most customers already have an iPhone charger, so it doesn’t make sense for Apple to include one with each device. It can be purchased separately (which will be an extra expense, especially for those switching from Android to iOS for the first time). From a business point of view, it makes sense not to have a charger: it reduces Apple’s manufacturing costs and allows them to make more profit on iPhone sales. However, the company will never admit it, as they are more likely to say there is no need for a charger in the box with the phone because of their environmental campaign.
Apple is reportedly going to appeal this time too. As it is not the first time that the Brazilian authorities have called the company’s business practices anti-consumer, chances are they will have to pay the fine again. After Apple’s move, rivals Samsung and Xiaomi have also dropped the charger from even more expensive models that can be folded in half. One question at the end: if you can afford an iPhone, you can certainly afford a charger, right?
Source: WCCFTech
