Following Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security's decision to ban Apple from selling iPhones without chargers in the country, the tech company said that it plans to make an appeal.
According to Engadget, Apple reasoned out that by not including charger with the new devices, it has helped "reduce environmental waste." The company said that they are very mindful of their "impact on people, and the planet."
"Power adapters represented our largest use of zinc and plastic and eliminating them from the box helped cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions - equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from the road per year," read an emailed statement from Apple, as cited by Bloomberg.
Brazil Suspends Sale of iPhones Without Chargers in the Country
In 2020, Apple made an announcement that it would no longer include chargers in new iPhone boxes. This drew criticism from some consumers, who saw it as the company's strategy to do cost-cutting.
However, Apple argued that billions of USB-A adapters are already available in the world and consumers can use any of these to charge their devices.
Just recently, the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety of Brazil issued an order that suspends the sale of any iPhone without chargers in the country. This includes units from iPhone 12 onwards.
The ministry also issued Apple with a fine of 12.275 million Brazilian reals ($2.38 million). Moreover, the iPhone 12's registration with the country's national telecoms agency Anatel was also canceled.
Apple cited environmental concerns as its reason for not including chargers with the iPhone bundle. According to the company, by not including chargers with the units, they are "reducing the manufacturing processes."
Meanwhile, according to Brazil's legislator, without the charger in the bundle, Apple is selling an "incomplete product," or a product that is "stripped of essential functionality."
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Apple Says it Would Appeal the Ministry's Decision
According to Reuters, Brazil has rejected Apple's reasoning that not including chargers reduce carbon emissions. The authorities said that there are no evidence that cites that "selling the smartphone without a charger offers environmental protections."
Instead, the authorities ruled out that selling devices without chargers is a "deliberate discriminatory practice against consumers."
According to Brazilian authorities, other measures could have been taken by the tech company to help the environment. One measure could be adding USB-C charging support to its iPhones.
The decision of the ministry to ban Apple from selling iPhones without chargers in the country comes after the investigation that started in December wrapped up.
As of writing, the company is not yet pulling off its newer iPhones from its Brazilian online store.
According to Reuters, Apple stated that it would keep on working with Senacon, the Brazil's consumer protection agency, to "resolve their concerns." The tech company also said it would appeal the ministry's decision.
"We have already won several court rulings in Brazil on this matter and we are confident that our customers are aware of the various options for charging and connecting their devices," Apple said.
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