Brazil has decided to ban Apple from selling any iPhones in the country that don’t come packaged with a battery charger.
- The Brazilian government believes that Apple is selling an incomplete product to consumers.
- Apple has been ordered to cancel the sales of the iPhone 12 and newer models, and sales of other iPhone models that don’t come with a charger have also been suspended.
- Brazil’s Justice Ministry has fined Apple 12.275 million reais ($2.38 million), although it will reportedly only be applied if the company tries to circumvent the sales ban.
- Apple stopped including a power charger (and EarPods) starting with the iPhone 12 in October 2020.
- The order comes just a day before Apple is expected to announce its next iPhone, the iPhone 14.
- Apple has said that it will appeal the decision.
“We have already won several court rulings in Brazil on this matter and we are confident that our customers are aware of the various options for charging and connecting their devices,” Apple said, which is working with Brazilian consumer protection agency Senacon to “resolve their concerns.”
“Application of a fine penalty in the amount of R$ 12,274,500 (twelve million two hundred and seventy-four thousand five hundred reais), revocation of registration of iPhone brand smartphones introduced to the market from the iPhone 12 model and immediate suspension of the supply of all iPhone brand smartphones, regardless of the model or generation, unaccompanied by the battery charger,” reads the order, according to a translation shared by AppleInsider.
From a Reuters report:
The Justice Ministry fined Apple 12.275 million reais ($2.38 million) and ordered the company to cancel sales of the iPhone 12 and newer models, in addition to suspending the sale of any iPhone model that does not come with a charger.
In the order, published on Tuesday 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 there is no evidence that selling the smartphone without a charger offers environmental protections.
Source: Diário Oficial da União