Taiwanese group says Apple harms consumers by not including charger with iPhone
A consumer group in Taiwan has called for an investigation into Apple's decision to exclude chargers from iPhone boxes, dubbing the practice a de facto price increase.
Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
The Consumers' Foundation on Monday accused Apple of exploiting consumers with the lack of charging adapters. In a press release, the group said that although Apple's environmental motivation was not invalid, the move also infringed on consumer rights since chargers are "essential" to operating a phone.
"If a phone manufacturer produces a phone but does not include a charger or charging cable, even if consumers purchase a fully functional and well performing high-end smartphone, of course they would not be able to turn on and use the phone normally," the group wrote.
In its press release, the Consumers' Foundation urged the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission to launch a probe into the practice.
Consumers' Foundation Secretary-General Hsu Tse-yu said that selling an iPhone without such an essential accessory amounts to a hidden price hike, since consumers would need to purchase a separate product to actually use the device. Additionally, he added that iPhone prices haven't dropped to reflect the decrease in production costs.
In contrast, the Consumers' Foundation does not believe that EarPods are an essential accessory. However, since the iPhone has been sold with EarPods for many years, the group still believes Apple should come up with a different pricing regime to reflect their absence.
Apple stopped shipping the 5W power adapter or EarPods with its iPhone devices in 2020, citing environmental concerns. The company is still required to ship those products in some regions where required by law, such as France or Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Read on AppleInsider
Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
The Consumers' Foundation on Monday accused Apple of exploiting consumers with the lack of charging adapters. In a press release, the group said that although Apple's environmental motivation was not invalid, the move also infringed on consumer rights since chargers are "essential" to operating a phone.
"If a phone manufacturer produces a phone but does not include a charger or charging cable, even if consumers purchase a fully functional and well performing high-end smartphone, of course they would not be able to turn on and use the phone normally," the group wrote.
In its press release, the Consumers' Foundation urged the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission to launch a probe into the practice.
Consumers' Foundation Secretary-General Hsu Tse-yu said that selling an iPhone without such an essential accessory amounts to a hidden price hike, since consumers would need to purchase a separate product to actually use the device. Additionally, he added that iPhone prices haven't dropped to reflect the decrease in production costs.
In contrast, the Consumers' Foundation does not believe that EarPods are an essential accessory. However, since the iPhone has been sold with EarPods for many years, the group still believes Apple should come up with a different pricing regime to reflect their absence.
Apple stopped shipping the 5W power adapter or EarPods with its iPhone devices in 2020, citing environmental concerns. The company is still required to ship those products in some regions where required by law, such as France or Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Is there no limit to the stupidity of such a group?Calling them stupid is too kind.
i suppose someone completely new to technology may not have a plug.
I'd imagine most iPhone buyers have a bunch of idle chargers just laying around - or a Mac which they can both charge and sync to.
So what? If Apple increased the price and included a charger would they be calling for an investigation about that?
Does the fact that you once included a set of earbuds and a charger mean that you must do so for all eternity?
Should i sue Apple for making me buy accessories I don’t need??
And no. It is not illegal. Just a scummy way to do business.
But that’s what companies do to hide things. They change and repackage so you can’t make a direct comparison. If you look at historic iPhone prices vs model specs, there was no discernible difference when they removed the charger. Apple doesn’t make public the profits for each segment, so there’s no way of knowing if their iPhone profit margins are higher or lower, either. We do know they saved money on chargers, packaging and shipping when they removed the charger.
Of course, they also removed the charger right as they switched to USB C, meaning none of the ‘millions’ of chargers people had laying around were compatible anyway.
I’ve long said that Apple should have simply included a $20 credit towards accessory purchases in place of the charger. If you wanted/needed a new charger you were set. If not, you could get another accessory. Apple would get more sales and people would get a charger or get somethign else they needed. Win-Win.
Would that be the end of the world? How many times have you gone to the battery drawer only to find out your kids used the last 2 AA batteries and you’re out?
So yes a consumer may have chargers and cables just lying around but the iPhone 13 as the previous iPhone 12 does not use the standard cable nor charger brick.
So yes include it in the newer products instead of having to buy the $19 charging brick or as many sites have suggested to lower the price on the devices so as to have a customer opt for it to be included or not.
And then there must be an adapter purchased in or to connect to CarPlay since it does not connect via a USB-C cable but a standard USB connection. Cars may include the capability in the future but many cars do not have that connectivity not operate as a wireless CarPlay device.
The truth is, Apple was shipping millions of chargers and earbuds that weren't being used, ever. Those things were of no value to the customers who put them in a drawer, where they'll sit until they eventually end up in the trash. It was also noted at the time that the smaller boxes meant more iPhones per shipping pallet, which decreases shipping costs and environmental impacts. Also, with both wired and wireless charging possible, not packing the cheapest default in the box means customers can choose which charging devices they want and will actually use. Also, älso, Samsung and other competitors quickly followed suit. That's millions upon millions of superfluous bits of e-waste that will never be manufactured and will never end up in a landfill. It's better all around.
Even if it didn't, so what if it's de facto price rise? Companies are allowed to raise their prices aren't they? Consumers don't have to like it, but that's why you vote with your wallet.
Sounds a little bit whiny. Maybe Apple could be a bit more up front about no charger being installed, and perhaps offer a discount if a charger is bought with a new phone. But otherwise, this smacks of nonsense, and I'm not even sure what the angle is.