What Apple's iPhone Charger Lawsuit Defeat Means For Everyone Else
A Brazilian court has ordered Apple to compensate an iPhone buyer with a sum of about $1,080 after a complaint was filed against the company's policy of not supplying a charger in the retail package of its phones. Apple made the controversial decision to remove the charger in 2020 when it launched the iPhone 12 series. Apple argued that removing the charger would reduce the environmental burden contributed by e-waste, with the assumption that most smartphone users have a charger lying around. The decision was not particularly well-received by smartphone buyers, but the company has not been swayed despite reasonable concerns.
Apple’s move triggered an industry-wide trend, with Samsung being the most prominent name in the segment to follow in its footsteps. The transition happened at the time when the European Union’s push towards standardizing smartphone chargers was gaining steam. Back then, Apple argued that charger standardization would harm consumers and stifle innovation. For an average buyer spending north of $800 on an iPhone, however, not getting a charging brick with their heavy investment can make them feel cheated.
Related: Apple Will Pay $95 Million In Lawsuit Over Refurbished Devices
One such dissatisfied customer filed a legal complaint in Brazil and has actually managed to win a favorable decision, per a Bloomberg report. Regional judge Vanderlei Caires Pinheiro has ruled that Apple must pay a sum of 5,000 Brazilian Real — approximately $1,080 based on the current conversion rate — to the affected buyer, with an additional 1 percent fine for every month since the summons began and a penalty of $100 for each day that the payment was delayed. The case has not received a class-action status, because if that
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