Apple and Samsung risk many more fines for not sending a power adapter with their expensive flagship phones

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Starting with the 2020 iPhone 12 series, Apple started shipping its phones without a power adapter and the wired EarPods. When it was pressed for some reason, Apple used the “Hulk” defense. In other words, it went green and explained that with the smaller boxes, 70% more boxes could fit on a shipping pallet. Apple says this will cut annual CO2 emissions by 2 million tons, which is equivalent to taking 500,000 cars off the road.

Apple and Samsung risk millions in Brazil fines for failing to supply a power adapter with their flagship phones

But Apple will also benefit from this decision on two fronts. It saves money by not including the power adapter and EarPods in the box and also generates revenue when customers decide to buy the latest and fastest power bricks for their new iPhones. And sure enough, many of these iPhone buyers end up buying a pair of AirPods. It’s a win-win for Apple.

Last month, a judge in Brazil ruled that: Apple must refund a consumer the equivalent of $1,081 after the iPhone he purchased did not come with a power brick that violates the country’s consumer laws. Notably, Article 39 of the Consumer Code (CDC) in Brazil prohibits what is known as a “tie-sale.” The law prohibits Apple from selling an iPhone and the phone’s charger in separate transactions.

Here too, Samsung is following in Apple’s footsteps. First, the company paid a fine in Brazil for not including a charger in the boxes the Galaxy phones were shipped in. SamMobile says the consumer protection agency (known as Procon) in Sao Paulo has so far fined Apple the equivalent of $2.1 million. The Procon in Fortaleza fined Apple and Samsung $ 5.2 million, although it is not clear whether the fine applied to both manufacturers together or separately.

Apple reportedly saved more than $6.5 billion by taking the charging brick and EarPods out of the iPhone box

But both Samsung and Apple could face many more fines. According to Agencia Brasil (via the telecom newspaper), both companies will have a chance to defend their cases and propose solutions before announcing fines.

Samsung has already made a change in Brazil to prevent more administrative measures. In the country, the non-flagship Samsung Galaxy A53 comes with a charger, while in most other countries it comes without a charger.

But even with the fines it has already paid and the fines it may have to pay in the future, Apple could still lead the way in Brazil anyway. According to a newspaper report published earlier this year, Apple has saved $6.5 billion so far by omitting the power adapter and wired earbuds in the boxes for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. A comparable figure for Samsung has not been calculated.

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