Brazil Fines Apple $19 Million for Continuing to Sell iPhones Without Charger
A Brazilian court today levied a $19 million "social damages" fine (100 million reais) against Apple for selling iPhones without a charger, reports Reuters. The Sao Paulo state court said that Apple must offer battery chargers with iPhones that are sold in the country, providing a decision in a lawsuit brought about by the Brazilian association of borrowers, consumers, and taxpayers (AMBCC).
Apple has said that it stopped offering chargers with iPhone purchases in order to cut down on carbon emissions. The company has argued that many customers already have chargers available, and it continues to sell chargers on a standalone basis.
The court presiding over the case did not look favorably on Apple's environmental explanation. "It is evident that, under the justification of a 'green initiative,' the defendant imposes on the consumer a required purchase of charger adapters that were previously supplied along with the product," read the ruling.
In addition to the fine, Apple is expected to sell iPhones with chargers and also provide chargers to all Brazilians who purchased their products after October 13, 2020, according to Brazilian news site Estadão. Apple ceased providing chargers with iPhones when it launched the iPhone 12 models in 2020. In most countries, Apple no longer ships iPhones with EarPods or a power adapter, offering just a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Back in September, the Brazilian Justice Ministry ordered Apple to stop selling iPhones without a charger and also levied a fine of $2.34 million, claiming that Apple was giving customers an incomplete product.
Apple has not complied with that order as it is appealing the ruling, with the company also planning to appeal today's Sao Paulo decision.
Popular Stories
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari.
More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain.
There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.
Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
Apple's website offers a list of nearly 200 new features and changes (PDF file) included in the software update, released last month.
Apple also shared equivalent lists for iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe.
iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer. To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on General, and tap on Software Update.
Below, we have highlighted eight ...
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends.
Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below.
Apple in October
Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023.
In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest leaks about the next-generation iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and Vision Pro.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Earlier this week, an apparent unboxing video of an updated iPad Pro with the M5 chip was shared online. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip...
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests.
The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year.
Apple TV
The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip
Apple code suggests...
