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Apple Ordered to Stop Selling iPhones Without Charger in Brazil [Updated]

murdoc2k said:
Ok so I've been seeing quite a few folks that say "If Apple was about the environment, they'd package iPhones without a charger, but give you one for free if you asked for it."

Here's my counter argument: We all know chargers on their own cost money if you were to buy them separately outside of your electronic device purchase. Now you're buying that brand new iPhone and are given the option of a FREE charger and all you have to do is check the box. Would you take it (even if you didn't really need one knowing what it's worth by simply checking the box)? Would you be more likely to check that box just so you could "have a spare lying around"? Perhaps maybe sell it on eBay and get some money back?

If your answer is yes to any of those questions, would that not defeat the purpose of reducing electronic waste? I realized really quicky that the only way to truly change human behavior is through economics.

You can hold hands and sing songs about how great it is to reduce waste and recycle, but at the end of the day, people do what's most convenient and what makes most economic sense.

If those plastic bags at grocery stores are given out like free lunches, there no incentive for people to transition into reusable shopping bags. This is why some countries like Canada have mandated plastic bags at grocery stores to be charged at 10 cents per bag.

By the same token, if people could opt for a FREE charger, it's a no brainer, but if that charger will cost you $18 or more, you'd think twice if you really NEED it.
Click to expand...
It would be nice if people were honest about this because it would be the fix. The problem is no one will turn down something for free. It's conditioned in most people's heads that free equals good. This has been used as a marketing gimmick for many products.
 
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I7guy said:
Every device has come with the proper cable even if the length is a little useless sometimes.
Click to expand...
I just feel it's really wasteful because there's only one thing I have more of than useless USB-A charging bricks. It is cheap micro USB cables. I probably have more than fifty now. I suspect I could throw them in the trash but I really hate doing that. I don't think recycling places here will recycle them.
 
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗 said:
This should have been done in the U.S. too. So many people out there buy iPhones and they have no idea they have to buy and pay for the charger separately. Or Apple could have provided a free charger if needed.

Think of going to Mcdonalds and ordering a 🍔 Big mac. But you don't get any buns and cheese. You have to ask for the buns and cheese to be included for some extra $.
Click to expand...
In this imaginary scenario most people would already be at McDonald's with buns and cheese brought from home in their pockets.
 
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compwiz1202 said:
But the current iPhones come with C > Lightning. So you need a C port or an adapter. And C are nowhere close to as common as A. I'm sure near every people getting a new iPhone has an A port on a computer at least
Click to expand...

Let's say you have an iPhone 6s and its included charger and cable. And then you buy a new iPhone 13.
What do you do?

You use the charger and the cable for the iPhone 6s to charge the new iPhone 13.

Let's say you are an Android user switching. Your Android phone is so old it came with an USB-A charger.
What do you do?

You use the charger for the Android phone and buys a USB-A-to-Lightning cable and charge the new iPhone 13.


No new charger is necessary to charge.
 
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murdoc2k said:
Ok so I've been seeing quite a few folks that say "If Apple was about the environment, they'd package iPhones without a charger, but give you one for free if you asked for it."

Here's my counter argument: We all know chargers on their own cost money if you were to buy them separately outside of your electronic device purchase. Now you're buying that brand new iPhone and are given the option of a FREE charger and all you have to do is check the box. Would you take it (even if you didn't really need one knowing what it's worth by simply checking the box)? Would you be more likely to check that box just so you could "have a spare lying around"? Perhaps maybe sell it on eBay and get some money back?

If your answer is yes to any of those questions, would that not defeat the purpose of reducing electronic waste? I realized really quicky that the only way to truly change human behavior is through economics.

You can hold hands and sing songs about how great it is to reduce waste and recycle, but at the end of the day, people do what's most convenient and what makes most economic sense.

If those plastic bags at grocery stores are given out like free lunches, there is no incentive for people to transition into reusable shopping bags. This is why some countries like Canada have mandated plastic bags at grocery stores to be charged at 10 cents per bag; And even so, people are still PAYING to buy those bags.

By the same token, if people could opt for a FREE charger, it's a no brainer, but if that charger will cost you $18 or more, you'd think twice if you really NEED it.
Click to expand...
A free charger could lead to cases where people are requesting chargers so they could sell for cheap to other people, which creates a financial incentive to get one. A better option would be a discount for not getting one.
 
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doboy said:
But then again, Apple products haven't gone up like 40% like some of the food items. Of course I wouldn't say no to a discount for not including the charger :)
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Heck 40% is mild depending on the item. Chicken has doubled. And I was ROFL when Giant had a 2lt soda on "sale" for $2.50! I remember when you could get them for under a dollar. They need to stop using the phrase Low Price and put LowER. At least that is true.
 
doboy said:
I guess it all depends on the person. I have so many chargers it's not even funny.
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People want to force people who saved charges to pay for a charger who don't need one.
They are assuming that Apple was giving away charger for free.
What they don't understand is customers were paying for the charger indirectly.
There is no free meal.
 
russell_314 said:
I just feel it's really wasteful because there's only one thing I have more of than useless USB-A charging bricks. It is cheap micro USB cables. I probably have more than fifty now. I suspect I could throw them in the trash but I really hate doing that. I don't think recycling places here will recycle them.
Click to expand...
A and micro just need to go away already. Just keep the ones you can insert either way like C and Lightning
 
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Mrkevinfinnerty said:
But I thought nobody needed one.. everybody has cupboards full of them at home..
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If people need charger then buy one.
I have too many chargers i don't want to pay for one.
the assumption that Apple was giving away charger for free is not true.
There is no free meal.
we the consumers were paying for the charger indirectly it was included in the price of the iPhone.
 
Maybe I'm weird... but I'd be fine if companies stopped including chargers and cables with their devices.

I'd rather choose the chargers I want (multi-port Anker chargers) and the cable length I want (at least 6 feet)

Basically... I never use what comes in the box because I want something different and/or I already have an existing solution.

Check out the picture below. That is just a portion of the MicroUSB cables that I have received with various devices over the years.

To clarify... I have never purchased a MicroUSB cable... those all came included with devices.

Seems excessive, right?

There's always a cable in the box. And that means there's some factory cranking them out even though I won't use them. If I've got 10 devices... I don't need 10 cables.

Today I'm growing a collection of USB-C cables, too. Every product comes with one... again. And in 5 years I'll have too many of those cables. Again.

So, personally, I'd rather these accessories be left out of the box. I don't even care if the price stays the same. I'm not gonna notice a few dollars today... but I will notice a drawer full of cables that I have never used and will eventually throw in the trash.

But again... that's me. I'm sure it's an unpopular opinion. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I just want this to stop: 👇

20220906_192430486_iOS-b.jpg
 
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ArkSingularity said:
Realistically, the charger is probably a few dollars to produce at most. The transportation costs of the packaging aren't zero either, but those can't be terribly substantial in light of the price of the device.

Apple's profit margins are so high on the iPhone lineup that it just kinda feels like nickel-and-diming in a way.
Click to expand...
So you are assuming that Apple will give away the charger for free because Brazil government has mandated them to ?
they will get that money back from customers indirectly.
There is no free meal.
This is free market, Apple will charge what every they want for an iPhone, customers need to decide what to pay.
Not the government.
 
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I realize different people have different needs, but in my case Apple did make the correct decision when they stopped providing chargers. I almost never use the Apple charger when it comes with the device, they just sit in my desk drawer. I use either a charging dock (for computers) or a multiple-output charger (especially for travel) for phone/watch/iPad/MacBook.
 
Michael Scrip said:
Maybe I'm weird... but I'd be fine if companies stopped including chargers and cables with their devices.

I'd rather choose the chargers I want (multi-port Anker chargers) and the cable length I want (at least 6 feet)

Basically... I never use what comes in the box because I want something different and/or I already have a solution.

Check out the picture below. That is just a portion of the MicroUSB cables that I have received with various devices over the years.

To clarify... I have never purchased a MicroUSB cable... those all came included with devices.

Seems excessive, right?

There's always one in the box. And that means there's some factory cranking them out even though I won't use them. If I've got 10 devices... I don't need 10 cables.

Today I'm growing a collection of USB-C cables, too. Every product comes with one... again. And in 5 years I'll have too many of those cables. Again.

So, personally, I'd rather these accessories be left out of the box. I don't even care if the cost stays the same. I'm not gonna notice a few dollars today... but I will notice a drawer full of cables that I have never used and will eventually throw in the trash.

But again... that's me. I'm sure it's an unpopular opinion.

I just want this to stop: 👇

View attachment 2051927
Click to expand...
thank you for your feedback, i agree.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
The Apple Defense Force can't decide between:



"everyone has one, so they don't need one"

or

"they are valuable and thus we can't include them because people will hoard them and sell them"
Click to expand...

Or maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle like if anything has value then people will WANT it even if they don't NEED it.

Also sure some people need a charger. The vast majority do not need a charger. To give everyone a charger when only a few need one is environmentally bad when it comes to the large scale of iPhone.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
And now that it's not, do you think Apple kept prices down as a result... or just pocketed the difference..

(we know the answer and it's not "lowered prices for consumers")

All that said, I'd argue the cost to Apple for including a charger is tiny
Click to expand...
So you are assuming that Apple was giving away the charger for free ?
If Apple is forced to include the charger they will get the price of the charger from customers, that is given.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
The Apple Defense Force can't decide


ADF Rule #1: Whatever Apple does is "correct"
Click to expand...
I am not saying Apple is correct.
I have too many chargers, i don't need one.
And Apple was not giving away chargers for free, it was included in the price of the phone.
Now why should i pay for charger when i don't need one ?
 
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