Brazil Halts Apple From Selling Charger-Less iPhones, Rejects Eco-Friendly Claim

Whoops, it seems Apple will no longer be able to sell iPhones without an accompanying charger in Brazil, with the country’s Justice Ministry fining the technology giant 12.275 million reals (US$2.38 million) and ordering it to cancel the sales of iPhone 12 and newer models. 

The smartphone brand will be required to suspend the sale of any iPhone models that do not come with a charger, which, as per Reuters, the Ministry said was a “deliberate discriminatory practice against consumers.” 

While Apple had first decided to do away with the chargers in a bid to reduce technological waste and carbon emissions, Brazilian officials have rejected the claims, alleging there was no evidence that proved smartphones without chargers had better environmental impact. 

This isn’t the first time the nation has come down so hard on manufacturers, with Ars Technica reporting that Samsung had faced a similar debacle but gave into the demands by providing free chargers to customers who bought its new smartphones. 

For now, Apple said it will continue working with the Brazilian consumer protection agency Senacon, though it plans to appeal the court ruling, having successfully won some before. 

Chances are, the authorities aren’t going to look too favorably upon the iPhone 14 lineup scheduled to be launched this week, as those models won’t come with a charger either. 

[via Reuters and Ars Technica, cover image via Daria Sakharova | Dreamstime.com]