Brazil really wants that charger in the box.
As reported by Reuters, the country has ordered that Apple halt sales of the iPhone until the company provides a charger to customers who purchase its phone. Apple originally removed the charging brick from iPhones when it released the iPhone 12 in 2020.
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".
Apple is appealing the decision
It didn't take long for Apple to start fighting back against the decision. In a statement emailed out to outlets like Bloomberg, the company said that it will be appealing the decision and working with SENACON, Brazil’s consumer protection agency, to “address their concerns."
The company, as it has been arguing since it removed the power brick from iPhone boxes two years ago, says that the removal of the power adapter is an environmental move rather than a monetary one. The company says that the removal of the power adapter has already cut more than 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions.
You can read Apple's statement below.
"At Apple, we consider our impact on people and the planet in everything we do,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Power adapters represented our largest use of zinc and plastic and eliminating them from the box helped cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions -- equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from the road per year. We’ve already won a number of court decisions in Brazil on this topic and are confident our customers are aware of the various options to charge and connect their devices."
The move from Brazil comes a day before Apple's "Far Out" event where the company is expected to announce the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Apple is also expected to reveal the Apple Watch Series 8, the second generation of the Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Pro, and the AirPods Pro 2.
