Apple Fined $2 Million in Brazil for Selling iPhones Without Chargers

[Rainshadow]

"Apple responded to the agency's concerns by saying that most customers already have spare adapters and that providing another one in the box is unneeded."

If that were the only reason then they'd allow people to add one to their order for free.

That’s entirely false. I don’t need a charger. But frankly, if Apple allowed me to add a newer one to my cart for free? There is no doubt I would do that.

I don’t have strong thoughts on whether they should or shouldn’t include a charger, but providing an option for a free charger is not an option in my opinion.

All of a sudden you have two packages going out, different sizes, it’s a mess. Either do or don’t.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I have bought several things that come with cable but no adapter. What about them? Even Apple Watch does not come with adapter. Only cable. I have bought some kids toys that need charger and they come with cable only.

The issue is that Apple’s Lightning ports are unique to Apple products.

Why force third parties to create a unique product alongside creating USB-C to USB-C cables that are compatible with basically all other brands of consumer tech that have been put out in the last 5-10 years?

Apple should refrain from the “doing it for the environment” narrative when the rest of the industry has been throwing USB-C cables at consumers for over 10 years, cables could easily be used to charge both iPhones and AirPods if Apple changed the ports from Lightning to USB-C.

Lightning has no benefits over USB-C, but most consumers own either a USB-C charger or a cable or both.

If Apple ditched Lightning altogether for USB-C then consumers could both save money and would produce less waste.

The fact that Apple launched yet another proprietary charging cable, MagSafe, further highlights how hypocritical their environmental efforts actually are.

MagSafe charges slower than regular fast charging and doesn’t even transmit data.

We already have 5w-10w Qi charging, why create more cables just to push it to 15w?

And the whole "it's just another business, let them do what they want if people buy it" doesn't hold up if you look at the amount of e-waste we're already dealing with at large.

Apple is selling too many products and has too big of an influence on the environment and consumer electronics industry to not regulate them or at-least fine them to make up for their unnecessary waste creating business tactics.

 

[gavroche]

You didn't reply to me, but really? I guarantee every country has at least several laws you'll think are "ridiculous." I think speed limit laws are stupid too... And I complain about them, but I realize they must be followed to a certain degree.

Yes, every country probably has laws that i would think are stupid. As far as consumer laws go (and thats what we are dealing with here, not criminal laws or public safety laws like speeding)... consumer laws are necessary when needed to protect the consumer when they would be unable to protect themselves otherwise. My having to add a cell phone to my shopping cart, and then add a charger to my shopping cart IF I NEED ONE, is hardly a situation i need the governments help with. Im adult enough to handle that. Its literaly like going to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make a pizza... and having to use my brain to decide which of those ingredients i already have and dont need to buy, and which i dont.

 

[Rainshadow]

I went and bought a Microwave this morning from Home Depot. It came with a power cord and a way to power it. The same can't be said for the iPhone 12 Pro I bought at Verizon last week. A device that requires something to power it should be required to come with a power cord/charger. Instead, Apple sells a charger and brick for $19, and a hockey puck charger for $40.

Apple is simply blowing smoke up our asses with this whole "environmental" thing. They want to reduce the box size because smaller boxes are cheaper. Smaller boxes are lighter to ship, saving money. Leaving the power cord and brick out saves cost for Apple. It is simply another way for Cook to cut corners to make the company's revenue look better than it really is.

Cook needs to fire his legal team and start fresh, but he doesn't have the raisins to do so. You hire a legal team to make sure as a global company, all laws are followed in all other countries you do business in... Not sit there and argue with the laws in those countries. If Brazil says you need to include power cords and a charging brick with the phone... You comply with it... Not sit there and go "Well, yada yada yada yada, that sucks for you."

Brazil has less of an argument about water resistance because Apple's T&C's state water damage isn't covered. With that said, my opinion is this: If your water resistance is as good as you say it is, put your money where your mouth is, Apple by covering water damage. Apple should be responsible if their water resistance features fail.

I don’t disagree with your last couple statements but the arguement that something that runs on power needs a power source is nonsense. Stoves(ovens) don’t come with cords. Thousands of kids toys don’t come with the charging brick. Numerous electronics do the same thing - cord but no brick. This isn’t new and this isn’t a problem. Go buy one.

I wish Apple hadn’t made the environmental argument. Just say you aren’t going to do it anymore. Period. It just makes business sense.

 

[crcuilla]

I am not buying that line from Apple. lol It's really about being able to get more phones on a pallet for shipping purposes, in my opinion.

Wouldn't that actually be environmentally beneficial?

 

[williambloke]

But by making the box smaller, they can fit more phones onto a delivery palette which means less carbon and 50,000 cars off the road because we all have a bunch of spare chargers from previous phones that aren't the ones used with these phones and sell the chargers for twenty dollars extra on top of the fourteen hundred dollar price tag for a max vers... OH MY GOD OPRAH IS ON MY SIRI!!!!

 

[baryon]

1. Include USB-A charger and USB-A cable in the box for 10+ years
2. Suddenly change to USB-C
3. Coincidently, stop including USB-C charger and sell the charger separately
4. Don't reduce the price of iPhone by the price of the charger that is missing from the box, so you're still paying for the charger, just not getting it
5. Profit!

 

[Mackin-tosh]

I have piles of chargers built up from years of devices. I don't need another charger, and if i did, I'd be willing to go buy one. Honestly, if spending $20 for a charger is a problem for you, you probably shouldn't be buying an iphone to begin with. Here's the product. Here's what it includes and what it doesn't include. If you're ok with that, go ahead and buy it. If not, go buy something else.

 

[I7guy]

Except that’s the worst possible outcome for the environment. I’d want a USB-C charger (that’s what I have as part of a 5 port Anker charger) or at the very least a 12 Watt charger.

Apple is not dumb enough to create a secondary market for its chargers. So it has a few choice if the Brazilian government is forcing their hand. 1) include the 5 watt charger and raise the price a few bucks, 2) include the 20 watt charger and raise the price $20.

Apple is being forced here, damn the environment.

 

[crcuilla]

Apple is not dumb enough to create a secondary market for its chargers. So it has a few choice if the Brazilian government is forcing their hand. 1) include the 5 watt charger and raise the price a few bucks, 2) include the 20 watt charger and raise the price $20.

Apple is being forced here, damn the environment.

Another option (they won't do it): Threaten to stop selling iPhones in Brazil. Game of chicken.

If they did this (they won't) it would be interesting to see exactly how fast consumers in Brazil forced their government to back down because...well...they want iPhones are are willing to accept whatever minor inconvenience the absence of a charger in the box presents.

 

[gavroche]

1. Include USB-A charger and USB-A cable in the box for 10+ years
2. Suddenly change to USB-C
3. Coincidently, stop including USB-C charger and sell the charger separately
4. Don't reduce the price of iPhone by the price of the charger that is missing from the box, so you're still paying for the charger, just not getting it
5. Profit!

Your points dont make any sense. The biggest problem with what you said is that you are assuming that all other costs of building the phone remained the same, so by removing the charger and keeping the cost the same, they 'profit' more. But you have absolutely know clue what changes occured from one year to the next in the various component costs. And second, be an adult consumer and vote with your money. If you think the iPhone represents a good value for the money and want it, buy it. If you do not, purchase one of the many other options that exist. But its tiring hearing people whine because they arent smart enough to spend two minutes and $5 buying a charger should they need one.

 

[TotalMacMove]

So who gettting that 1 mil after lawyer fee’s?

 

[Suckfest 9001]

So sad that people think its the governments job to tell companies what to sell and people what they have to buy. Because apparently we arent smart enough to make purchasing decisions on our own. Is there any aspect of life then that you think the government should not be in control of? I guess ill need them to tell me when to eat and poop, since those are harder decisions than me deciding if i want to buy a phone charger or not.

If it wasn’t for government involvement and regulation you’d never know what’s in your food. You’d never have a mandatory nutrition sticker. You’d never have anything stopping people from driving drunk.

Are you really sure you want a world that isn’t governed? That’s what’s truly sad - people like you taking things for granted that they don’t realize is the reason for our way of life. Put aside your brand loyalty and use your mind.

 

[Beepbeep]

„Adapter not needed“

- includes a usb-c to lightning cable 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

if anything, they make more electronic waste by including a cable that doesn’t work with the adapters most people Apple claims to already have 😅

This is tired logic. If you already have the brick you already have the cable that goes with it as well. You didn’t just get a brick with any existing device you have. Including the new cable allows you to connect your phone to a newer Mac which most people don’t have.

 

[Lek]

So what if we already have one from a previous iphone - I liked to have charging bricks in different places, for example leaving one at work. If they are going to include the new cable, then they should supply the usb-c power brick as well (yes I ended up buying two, the packaging and shipping of them ruining the so called savings of environmental impact).

 

[Mackin-tosh]

Your points dont make any sense. The biggest problem with what you said is that you are assuming that all other costs of building the phone remained the same, so by removing the charger and keeping the cost the same, they 'profit' more. But you have absolutely know clue what changes occured from one year to the next in the various component costs. And second, be an adult consumer and vote with your money. If you think the iPhone represents a good value for the money and want it, buy it. If you do not, purchase one of the many other options that exist. But its tiring hearing people whine because they arent smart enough to spend two minutes and $5 buying a charger should they need one.

I wish I could hit the like button 100 times on this...

 

[Racco151]

Seeling a phone without a Charger is one thing. But selling a charger (Duo Charger) without a Charger should be fined as well.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Wouldn't that actually be environmentally beneficial?

I believe Apple's eco message was along the lines of keeping more chargers out of landfills. I could be wrong.

 

[Mackin-tosh]

So what if we already have one from a previous iphone - I liked to have charging bricks in different places, for example leaving one at work. If they are going to include the new cable, then they should supply the usb-c power brick as well (yes I ended up buying two, the packaging and shipping of them ruining the so called savings of environmental impact).

...but not everyone will do that....so not really seeing your point here. smh

 

[Apple_Robert]

Agreed, the parts do wear down after a while. Problem is, Apple Care doesn't cover water damage, even from day #1. They could cover water damage for a year or two while the parts are relatively new. Apple is too afraid their water resistance features will cost them too much money because some phones will be defective.

That is true. There are also people that will purposefully abuse their phones and then seek repair / replacement.

 

[gavroche]

If it wasn’t for government involvement and regulation you’d never know what’s in your food. You’d never have a mandatory nutrition sticker. You’d never have anything stopping people from driving drunk.

Are you really sure you want a world that isn’t governed? That’s what’s truly sad - people like you taking things for granted that they don’t realize is the reason for our way of life. Put aside your brand loyalty and use your mind.

When did i ever say there should not be laws? There are obviously a need for laws. But if you cant see a diference between a law requiring a company to list ingredients in the food they will eat, and requiring an electronics company to bundle items that can quite easily be puechased separatly.. well... there no point in having a discussion.

 

[crcuilla]

I believe Apple's eco message was along the lines of keeping more chargers out of landfills. I could be wrong.

It might have been. And that may be one of the actual benefits.

Regardless of what Apple said publicly there may be others benefits like less (net) packaging materials. Lower shipping costs and corresponding positive environmental impacts. Etc.

 

[jlc1978]

They changed the charger the same time they got rid of it from the box. Tell me more about how we’re supposed to use our existing USBC bricks that we got with our iPhone….?

Oddly enough, my iPhone 12 charges just fine with USB-A to Lightening cables from my old 8. The USB C cable is only used when traveling to charge and sync from my MacBook Pro.

I would agree on the water resistance aspect if the iPhone seals didn't degrade over time. At this point, it would be foolish for Apple to warranty water damage.

The issue I have with that is they claim a resistance value; it should not degrade enough over the warranty period to allow detectable water damage; if the sensor is tripped as soon as any water is detected, even within the stated time/depth the phone is water resistant then there advertising is misleading.

Another option (they won't do it): Threaten to stop selling iPhones in Brazil. Game of chicken.

If they did this (they won't) it would be interesting to see exactly how fast consumers in Brazil forced their government to back down because...well...they want iPhones are are willing to accept whatever minor inconvenience the absence of a charger in the box presents.

Brazil is probably the largest consumer market in South America, likely bigger than all others combined. Apple has a factory there and gets breaks from the Brazilian government to make iPhones there. Not going to happen.

 

[Tork]

Maybe I’m in the minority, but they’re premium phones and I doubt anyone who can afford one somehow can’t afford a $10 charging brick or USB-A lightning cable for a brick they certainly already have. I’m sure a vast majority already have a lightning cable + brick anyway at this point.

Yes, they could give the option to get one for free, but I bet many who don’t truly need one would do it because “why not, it’s free” and then throw out their perfectly good current brick because it’s “old.” I probably would myself to have an extra one that I don’t really even need.

And yes, I’m sure it’s partially to add a tiny bit of profit too. Good for them. They’re a for-profit company. And the environmental benefit is certainly real. A twofer right there.

 

[sazali]

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