With the iPhone 12, Apple is for the first time shipping its handset without a wall charger and earphones, though it has been kind enough to include a Lightning-to-USB-C charging cable (that you can’t use with the old iPhone wall charger that most people have).
While some people believe Apple made the move in an effort to push customers into forking out for its wireless MagSafe charger or its faster power adapter, the tech giant insisted it removed the extra kit so it could avoid wasting precious materials and energy on building parts that many people already have.
It turns out that Brazil is having none of it, according to 9to5Mac, with São Paulo State’s consumer protection agency telling Apple to include a wall charger with every iPhone 12 or else face a fine.
The agency, Procon-SP, asked Apple in October about why it had chosen not to put the charger in the iPhone 12 box. Besides the previously mentioned reasons, Apple also said the decision would enable it to ship more handsets, allowing it to reduce carbon emissions by two million metric tons annually.
But Procon-SP didn’t buy Apple’s explanation, saying in a statement this week that it is “inconsistent to sell the device unaccompanied by the charger,” at the same time asking why the company hasn’t launched a recycling program to collect the old 5W wall chargers shipped with earlier iPhones — but which can’t be used with the Lightning-to-USB-C cable packaged with Apple’s latest handset.
It also wants to know if Apple will offer the same level of tech support to customers who bring in an iPhone 12 that may have been damaged by a third-party wall charger.
Procon-SP said it sees the wall charger as an essential part of the iPhone 12 kit, and that selling the handset without it goes against the Brazilian Consumer Defense Code.
At the current time it’s only São Paulo State that is telling Apple to provide a wall charger, but reports suggest that Brazil’s National Consumer Secretary is considering making the same demand.
Digital Trends has reached out to Apple for comment on the agency’s decision and we will update this article when we hear back.
Similar shenanigans have been playing out in France. While the European country let Apple off the hook with regards to the wall charger, a law there means Apple has to include a pair of earphones with the iPhone 12.
Keen to get your hands on a fast USB-C charger for your new iPhone? Digital Trends is here to help.
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