Brazil Bans Sale Of iPhones Without Chargers; Apple To Challenge Court Order

Apple is all set for the Far Out event later tonight, which will see the launch of the next-gen iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch Series 8, AirPods Pro, and more. Despite the excitement, Apple has some bad news to take care of. Brazil has banned the sale of iPhones without chargers and won't allow future sales until Apple takes care of the adapters.

Brazil Bans iPhone Sales

A Brazilian court order has suspended the sales of iPhone 12 and later models, which do not include a charging adapter in the box. Previously, the Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security had fined Apple BRL 12.275 million (roughly Rs. 18 crores).

The fine was imposed over the issue that Apple wasn't providing complete products to its customers. Further, the Brazilian minister accused Apple of deliberate "discriminatory practices against customers".

Apple stopped shipping charging adapters with the iPhone 12 in 2020 as part of the brand's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and e-waste. However, the Brazilian authorities have rejected Apple's argument that there's no concrete evidence of environmental protection from selling smartphones without a charger.

Brazil's court order comes just ahead of the iPhone 14 launch. Just like the previous generations, Apple is tipped to skip the charging adapter for the upcoming smartphones. It remains to be seen if the Brazilian market will get the new iPhone 14 models or not.

Apple To Challenge Brazilian Court Order

Meanwhile, a Reuters report states an Apple spokesperson that they would challenge the Brazilian court order. Apple is said to continue working with the Brazilian consumer protection agency, Seanacon to resolve their concerns.

The report also quotes Apple as saying they have won several court rulings in Brazil on a similar matter. "We are confident that our customers are aware of the various options for charging and connecting their devices," the report states.

Reports suggest Apple might launch the 10th Gen iPad Air with a USB Type-C port for charging, to abide by the rising demand for universal chargers. It's unclear if Apple will offer the same for iPhones as it's rumored to be working on a port-less mobile.