Brazil’s government on Tuesday ordered Apple to cease sales in Brazil of iPhone’s without a battery charger in the box, claiming that the company provides an incomplete product to consumers.
The Justice Ministry fined Apple 12.275 million reais ($2.38 million) and ordered the cancellation of the sale of the iPhone 12 and newer models, in addition to suspending the sale of any iPhone model that does not come with a power charger.
In the order, published in the country’s official gazette, the ministry argued that the iPhone was lacking a essential component in a “deliberate discriminatory practice against consumers”.
The authorities rejected Apple’s argument that the practice had the purpose of reducing carbon emissions saying that there is no evidence of environmental protection from selling the smartphone without a charger.
MacDailyNews Take: One day before the next-gen iPhone is unveiled, but we bet Apple has a contingency plan for countries that object to charger-free iPhone boxes.
By they way, as Apple explained during its “Hi, Speed” iPhone 12 event on October 13, 2020, excluding the charger reduces the size of the iPhone box so that 70% more devices can fit on a shipping pallet which allows Apple to reduce yearly carbon emissions by some 2 million metric tons.
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