iPhones seized in THIS country from Apple showrooms! Reason is shocking

Brand new iPhones have been seized from Apple stores on Brazil following the new ruling by the government.

Apple has been skipping on shipping the charging adapter with iPhones since 2020. (Amritanshu / HT tech)

iPhones haven't come with an in-box charger since 2020 and the decision has annoyed many across the world, including the Brazilian government. After slapping several fines on the Cupertino company, the government has now taken a step ahead and seized hundreds of iPhones from Apple stores and resellers. The idea behind the seizure is to prevent Apple from selling these iPhones without the charger in the box. Apple has requested the government to allow them to sell the units.

The government has been reportedly picking up units of new iPhones from across several Apple stores and resellers. These iPhone units ship without the charger in the box, which is a notion that the Brazilian government has been objecting ever since the iPhone 12 launched in 2020. According to the local authorities, not selling a charger in the box translates to Apple selling an incomplete product. The charger is a necessity for the iPhone to operate.

iPhone seized from Brazil stores

The 9To5Mac report says that the country took this action under the movement Operation Discharge. Apple, on the other hand, has asked the Brazilian authorities to allow them to sell those units until a new ruling is passed. Prior to this, it was decided that Apple needed to provide the charging adapter in the box.

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Apple has been skipping on shipping the charging adapter with iPhones since 2020, when Apple announced the iPhone 12. At the time, Apple said that this move could help the company cutdown on carbon emissions and save on precious resources from all across the world. It would also contribute less to the issue of e-waste generation.

Since then, Apple has been skipping the charger in all iPhone models. The current generation iPhone 14 series and the iPhone SE 3 do not come with the charger in the box. Apple sells the 20W wired charger as an extra, if customers want it.

The Brazilian authorities have argued that Apple not shipping the in-box charger means selling an incomplete product. For someone new to the iPhone, they have to charge the phone and without a charger, that won't be possible.

Note that Apple continues to ship the charger with its iPad and Mac products. Apple is also under the scanner for using the old Lightning port on its iPhones, and the EU mandating the presence of USB-C ports on all smartphones and mobile devices.