5c_and_5s Apple has been fined 20 million New Taiwan dollars ($670,000) by the Taiwanese Fair Trade Commission after the company was found to be unlawfully influencing the price of the iPhone on the country's cell phone carriers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Under article 18 of Taiwan's Fair Trade Act, an enterprise is not allowed to decide the prices of their goods after handing them over to a third party for resale. The company reportedly asked Taiwan's three major service providers to adjust iPhone rates, including Chunghwa Telecom, Far Eastone Telecommunication, and Taiwan Mobile.

"Through the email correspondence between Apple and these three telecom companies we discovered the companies submit their pricing plans to Apple to be approved or confirmed before the products hit the market," it said in a statement.

Apple may choose to appeal the Taiwanese government's decision, however it may face a fine of 50 million New Taiwan dollars ($1,700,000) if it does not comply with the initial ruling. Furthermore, the ruling itself applies to iPhones only, with the government having no current plans to investigate Apple's price interference with iPads in the region. Apple's office in Taiwan has also not issued a statement on ruling.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Klae17 Avatar
151 months ago
As far as I can tell, this is an issue about Taiwan's retail market, not what one American retailer does.

To my knowledge, Taiwan retail laws are not enforceable in the USA.

I know this is a rather rhetorical question, but are people on the Internet really this bad at reading comprehension?

Lets not be dim about it. I'm saying apple lets Walmart discount it so much, why would they have a problem with Taiwan doing the same? You clearly demonstrated you text enlargement skills though. Very impressive.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mpantone Avatar
151 months ago
Well Apple lets Wal Mart sell their phones for $27 and $127.
As far as I can tell, this is an issue about Taiwan's retail market, not what one American retailer does.

To my knowledge, Taiwan retail laws are not enforceable in the USA.

I know this is a rather rhetorical question, but are people on the Internet really this bad at reading comprehension?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Parasprite Avatar
151 months ago
As far as I can tell, this is an issue about Taiwan's retail market, not what one American retailer does.

To my knowledge, Taiwan retail laws are not enforceable in the USA.

I know this is a rather rhetorical question, but are people on the Internet really this bad at reading comprehension?
I think they meant that in the USA Apple was allowing retailers to sell their iPhones at a different retail price than the other retailers, therefore are they even doing this practice in the USA?

Not that I am agreeing that Walmart has any such relevance here, or that the statement even makes much sense.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OriginalMacRat Avatar
151 months ago
Well Apple lets Wal Mart sell their phones for $27 and $127.

That's not the price of the iPhone.

It's a down payment you pay for the privilege of signing up for a 2yr contract.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fermat-au Avatar
151 months ago
If Apple want to sell phones outside the US they need to do so under the laws of that country.

Apple have far more control over pricing in the US than they have in most other parts of the world. In Australia the iPhone is sold under a different model than the US. Here in Australia people can buy the iPhone unsubsidised and unlocked from Apple or subsidised from the carrier. Apple sets the wholesale price but the carriers set the retail price. This creates competition between the carriers to give the user the best deal (monthly cost) to get an iPhone.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
151 months ago
Well Apple lets Wal Mart sell their phones for $27 and $127.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...