The state of São Paulo is not enthusiastic about Apple leaving the charger out of the iPhone 12 case. To lean and MacRumors report that consumer protection agency Procon-SP fined Apple nearly R $ 10.55 million (about US $ 1.92 million in the US) for removing the iPhone 12 family power adapter and new production series from Older iPhones. Apple’s action was a violation of the country’s Consumer Protection Code, according to the agency.
Procon-SP informed Apple about the alleged violation in December. Apple responded by reiterating its environmental angle, arguing that it would reduce CO2 emissions and rare earth mining. He noted that many customers already had spare chargers. The agency was clearly not satisfied with that response, however. When issuing the fine, the executive director of Procon-SP, Fernando Capez, told Apple that it needed to respect Brazilian law.
The fine also covers allegedly misleading claims to water resistance. Apple reportedly refused to repair iPhones that suffered water damage under the warranty, despite touting the devices’ ability to survive immersion for long periods.
We asked Apple for a comment. The company can appeal the fine if it continues to challenge the decision.
The fine is comparatively small and will not affect Apple’s finances. However, Apple may not have much choice but to offer a concession if it wants to continue selling iPhones in Brazil. Other companies have also given in to pressure. Samsung closed an agreement with Procon-SP to include a “present” charger in pre-orders for the Galaxy S21, for example. Brazil is one of the largest telephony markets in the world, and companies that defy the country’s rules are in danger of losing a lot of sales if they are not careful.