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Brazilian government imposes ban on sales
Like the Brazilian news agency Globe reported on September 6.9.2022th, XNUMX, the government has obtained a court ruling that prohibits Apple from selling iPhones without a charger and charging cable. The background is that omitting a power supply from the delivery would violate the applicable law in Brazil.
Indeed has MacRumors already reported that there was a case in which a Brazilian customer successfully sued Apple for the missing power adapter and received compensation of 1.000 euros. He can now buy a lot of power plugs for that … or a 3/4 iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Apple justifies the omission of the power supply with environmental protection
So far, Apple has not commented on the verdict. In the past, however, the company has repeatedly emphasized that the omission of the power supplies is about environmental protection. This is what the official website says:
“All of our products and packaging are designed and manufactured to have as little environmental impact as possible. We believe that the best way to protect the environment is to not produce any waste at all.”
However, some experts disagree and see the omission of the power supplies as a clear attempt to further maximize revenue. So it is quite possible that Apple will soon include power supplies again due to the verdict in Brazil - or that it will have to stop selling iPhones altogether. But I think that Apple is more likely to include power supplies again.
Apple's market shares and profits in Brazil
While Brazil is an important market for Apple, accounting for “only” 2,4% of global iPhone sales, it's not the key region for the company. At the same time, the country accounts for just 0,4% of Apple's global profits, so it's no wonder Apple's primary focus is on the environmental argument.
For the Brazilian government, the decision to stop sales is a success, but it is not for the environment, because if Apple now has to include power supplies again, there will be even more electronic waste.
According to a study by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2,3 million tons of e-waste are produced in Brazil every year - and of this, only 18% ends up in recycling plants. The rest ends up in landfills or is disposed of illegally. Against this background, I think it is better not to include a power supply unit and to protect the environment.
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Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He acts as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with technical problems. In his spare time he rides electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with the iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions to current bugs.