Apple FINED $19 million in Brazil, has to provide chargers to existing customers

Apple has been widely criticised by the industry and consumers for not providing a charger in the box since 2020's iPhone 12. There have been several lawsuits against these and while none of them have had big effects, the latest one will cost Apple a hefty fine in Brazil. After a petition, a court in Brazil has asked Apple to pay a hefty fine of $19 million and compensate all customers who have suffered from the same.

Apple, meanwhile, has said that it will appeal the decision to the court. The company has cited environmental reasons for excluding the charger since the days of the iPhone 12, and several other brands have followed suit. It is, however, Apple who is facing the fine for now, and based on local reports, it has to compensate its affected customers, since Apple has allegedly sold an incomplete product.

Apple fined $19 million for missing chargers

"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," said the court's decision.

Other than paying the fine, Apple has also been asked to include the charger in the box if it wants to sell its iPhones in Brazil. Additionally, the company is also expected to provide chargers to all customers who purchased an iPhone after October 13, 2020.

What remains to be seen is whether other brands are getting the same treatment in Brazil. After Apple, it was Samsung and Google who stopped shipping chargers in the box for environmental concerns. Xiaomi toyed around with the idea of no charger in the box but later gave an option to users to skip it. Even Nothing announced its Phone (1) earlier this year without a charger in the box.

Apple is also facing flak in the EU for using its proprietary technology for the charging port. The EU has mandated the presence of a USB-C port on mobile devices and Apple is expected to be the affected the most. In fact, Apple has to switch to the USB-C port before the law is mandated starting late 2024.