The iPhone 12 must be sold with a charger in Brazil

The news that Apple would not include a charger in the standard packaging of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro broke a few months before the official launch of the new iPhone range on the market. The reason the company no longer supplies chargers with its new models is that it wants to reduce its environmental footprint. Most users who upgraded their device from an iPhone 11 to an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro already had a charger.  

Although the global market accepted the removal of the charger from iPhone packaging, Brazil took a different stance. Brazil's consumer protection authority (Procon-SP) did not consider the environmental justification satisfactory and, after requesting evidence, subsequently forced Apple to include a charger with every iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro sold.

As a result, Apple in this market will have to include a charger in the standard packaging in order to avoid paying a fine, which will increase with every day that passes without compliance with the rules. For now, the requirement to sell a charger with every Apple device will apply only in Brazil. However, this could set a precedent that changes the way devices are sold in other countries too.