Back in September, the Brazilian Ministry of Justice ordered the suspension of iPhone sales in Brazil after deciding that Apple was causing harm to consumers by selling the product without the power adapter. Apple has continued selling iPhones in Brazil despite the restriction, and a Brazilian court on Tuesday fined Apple once again for neglecting the accessory in the phones box.
A Brazilian court wants Apple to force it to ship iPhones with a charger.
This time, a court in Sao Paulo decided to make a tie-in sale. According to the judge, there are individuals who don''t have a compatible power adapter at home and are forced to purchase a new one, which has been sold separately since 2020.
Apple, according to the Brazilian court, has no longer ships the iPhone with the power adapter that is included as a way to reduce carbon emissions and electronic waste. However, the Brazilian court has found that this is just a way for the company to make more money by selling its own accessories.
Apple has been fined Rs100 million by the Sao Paulo Court of Justice, which includes the power adapter in iPhones sold in Brazil. Apple has said that it will appeal the decision, as it did when the Brazilian Ministry of Justice ordered a halt to iPhone sales in the country.
Apple had already raised more than R$20 million in penalties in Brazil for failing to sell iPhones with a charger included. Of course, the company''s appeal decision saves time to continue selling the devices in Brazil while it prepares its defense in court.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have begun in Brazil last week, with the official launch set for this Friday. At least for now, the phones will not be charged with a charger.
Samsung was pushed with the same requirements in Brazil earlier this year. However, unlike Apple, the South Korean firm decided to be compliant with the Brazilian government and is now adding the plug adapter to its latest devices, such as the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4.
USB-C may become mandatory in Brazil
But the dispute between Apple and the Brazilian government may not stop there. Anatel, a Brazilian telecom regulator, has proposed that every smartphone sold in the country should adopt USB-C as a standard.
This coincides with the recent European Union decision, which will also force Apple to adopt USB-C in the iPhone starting in 2024. The US Senate is also considering a similar proposal, which suggests the Lightning connector might be in its final days.