11 votes

Brazil’s consumer protection regulator fines Apple $2M for not including charger in iPhone 12 box

3 comments

  1. mrbig
    Link
    The are actually more reasons for the fine, such as advertising resistance to water and refusing to fix phones with water damage.

    The are actually more reasons for the fine, such as advertising resistance to water and refusing to fix phones with water damage.

    Aside the charger removal on the iPhone 12 and new iPhones commercialized, Procon-SP states other problems with Apple, such as:

    • Misleading advertising: iPhone 11 Pro consumers reported that Apple didn’t repair their phones after problems with water

    • iOS update problems: some users reported “problems with some functions” on their iPhones after updating them, which Apple didn’t help

    • Unfair terms: Apple exempts itself from all legal and implicit guarantees and against hidden or not apparent defects, according to Procon-SP

    9 votes
  2. [2]
    stu2b50
    Link
    Eh, I think the charging brick removal isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Many iPhone customers are repeat customers; Apple has a 94% brand loyalty rate in smartphones...

    Eh, I think the charging brick removal isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Many iPhone customers are repeat customers; Apple has a 94% brand loyalty rate in smartphones (indicating that 94% of iphone owners plan on buying an iPhone). Over time, that is quite a bit of plastic bricks saved.

    The EU considered mandating a universal port for all smartphones for a similar reason.

    “We are drowning in an ocean of electronic waste,” said Roza Thun, a member of the European Parliament from Poland. “Demand grows and with it waste and exploitation of natural resources.”

    Officials also say that a common kind of charger would reduce consumers’ cost because devices could be sold without a dedicated charger.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/business/european-union-phone-charger.html I don't think this went anywhere, but it's just to say that it's not just phone manufacturers that want to increase their margins by 1% thinking about this.

    iPhones are still on lightning for some god forsaken reason, but the charging brick is usb-c. With Samsung (which competes with Apple for #1 in phones shipped) also ditching the charging brick, it seems, like the headphone jack, it's a pretty inevitable change, and I don't think it's that bad of one after the growing pains.

    The water resistance seems like the more pressing issue; it is a little weird that all flagships are water resistant, but none of them actually warranty against it. I suppose it is somewhat finnicky - the seal after you, say, drop the phone may not be in tact anymore. But I can see people using their phones in water after seeing ads and being disappointed.


    Overall, though, $2 million seems kinda... not much of a deterrent.

    6 votes
    1. mrbig
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      The fine is calculated in Brazilian Real, and due to our very weak currency it becomes extra small in US dollars. Not that it would be much bigger when our currency was stronger.

      The fine is calculated in Brazilian Real, and due to our very weak currency it becomes extra small in US dollars. Not that it would be much bigger when our currency was stronger.

      4 votes