By removing the power adapter from the iPhone 12 package in 2020, Apple, as you know , fell out of favor with the Brazilian regulator, and now the conflict has entered a new round – with the suspension of sales of iPhone smartphones without a charger in the box in the country. This was reported by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security of Brazil.
In addition to limiting iPhone sales without chargers, the agency also ordered Apple to pay a fine of 12,275,500 Brazilian reais (approximately $2.3 million) and canceled the certification of the iPhone 12 by the local telecom regulator Anatel (similar to the American FCC and our State Special Communications Service).
Significantly, Brazil introduced a ban on the sale of iPhones without a charger the day before Apple’s “Far Out” presentation , dedicated mainly to the announcement of the iPhone 14 (the new models will probably also not have a charging block in the box). According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo , the iPhone 12 is still on sale in Brazil on the Apple online store website.
If you remember, in early 2021, the Brazilian regulator fined Apple $2 million for selling iPhones without charging pads in boxes and argued that the company “did not take any measures to minimize additional costs for consumers, and continues to sell mobile phones without chargers. devices.” Apple, which previously explained the removal of the charging adapter from the kit by concern for the environment (although there is a fairly popular opinion that Apple primarily cared not about the environment, but about its own financial benefit), has so far not publicly reacted to the claims of the Brazilian authorities. However, the iPhone manufacturer commented on this decision almost immediately – in a Reuters commentary, an Apple representative confirmed its intention to file an appeal. And judging by the text of the statement, Apple firmly believes that it is winning the appeal.
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“We have already won several court cases in Brazil in this case, and we are confident that our customers are aware of the various options for recharging and connecting their devices,”
Apple official statement
Along with the charging adapter, Apple also removed the lead headphones from the standard iPhone kit. And this is not the first time Apple has had problems with regulators in different countries because of this decision. So, in France, Apple continued to sell the iPhone 12 with headphones in the box, complying with the requirements of local legislation (protection from electromagnetic and radio waves that can adversely affect health when adding a smartphone to the head). However, already at the beginning of 2022, France made changes to the legislation and canceled this strange requirement, after which Apple removed the headphones from the box.
You can also recall that earlier the EU passed a bill regulating the mandatory use of the USB-C connector in future smartphones, tablets, cameras and other consumer electronics in order to reduce e-waste. The new rules will come into effect in the fall of 2024. And Brazil, by the way , also considers USB-C as the only connector for the iPhone and all other smartphones. If you believe the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, then Apple will abandon the proprietary Lightning connector in the iPhone in favor of USB-C as early as 2023.
