Apple decided to remove the power adapters from its retail box for smartphones, and Samsung jumped onto this trend real quick as well. However, this has led to both companies being subject to scrutiny and fines from different governments across the world.
Apple & Samsung cited environmental reasons to ship phones without power adapters:
Apple is facing fines from the Brazilian government for not including power adapters with their iPhones. The company has stated that it decided to remove the chargers in order to reduce the yearly carbon emission by 2 million metric tons, which can be achieved via smaller packaging. Smaller phone boxes mean more boxes can be shipped in one trip and it is also beneficial to the iPhone maker as it saves on the cost of having to provide power adapters and EarPods.
Samsung took a similar approach with its flagship devices, however, the decisions of the tech giants have not sat well with a judge in Brazil who as per sources has ordered the Cupertino Giant to cover costs to the tune of $1,081 as by not providing a charger, Apple has violated consumer laws.
Samsung has also been subject to a fine for not including a charger, in addition to this, both the companies are also being fined in Sao Paolo by the consumer protection agency, Procon. Procon in Fortaleza has imposed a fine of $5.2 million on the South Korean giant
It is not known if this amount is supposed to be paid to an individual in particular or to all the aggrieved persons combined. Apple has saved nearly $6.5 billion USD in shipping and more, however, there are more than 900 Procons that are waiting to initiate proceedings against both the companies.
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