- A judge has ordered Apple to pay a man $1,000 for not including a power adapter in his iPhone.
- The judge said the company was letting customers buy both of its products so that one would be fully functional.
- Apple said the supplied cable could be used with a non-Apple adapter, but the judge rejected it.
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A Brazilian judge has ordered Apple to pay a man 5,000 Brazilian reals or $1,081 for selling a new iPhone without a power adapter attached.
Goiania Civil Court Judge Vanderlei Caires Pinheiro ruled that the practice was a “tie sale,” a situation in which a company requires a customer to buy two products in order for one to work, court documents show insider.
The judge said Apple “forced consumers to buy a second product it exclusively manufactures,” calling it “abusive and unlawful business practice.”
In its defense, Apple said in court documents that each iPhone comes with a USB-C-to-Lightning cable that allows consumers to charge their phones using power adapters that can be purchased from other companies.
But the judge rejected that argument, saying the cable wouldn’t work with wall adapters that don’t have a USB-C port, which Apple’s chargers are designed to use.
He also noted that Apple said it stopped offering power adapters due to environmental concerns and a shortage of accessories. Pinheiro responded that Apple is still making its power adapters and selling them separately.
“Such a measure aimed at reducing environmental impact is inappropriate because, in all evidence, the defendant continues to manufacture this essential accessory, but now sells it separately,” Pinheiro said.
Apple first announced it would stop supplying power adapters for its iPhone 12 in 2020, after the Brazilian government said it found the product abusive. In 2021, it fined Apple $2 million, saying the tech giant failed to demonstrate the “environmental benefits” it advertised, Brazilian media G1 reported.
Apple did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
