Chinese students sue Apple over not including chargers with iPhones

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in iPhone
A group of students from Chinese universities are suing Apple over its decision to not include chargers with the iPhone 12 and later.

Apple no longer includes a charger with every iPhone
Apple no longer includes a charger with every iPhone


Following Apple's 2020 decision to no longer include chargers in the box with its iPhones, the company has repeatedly faced fines from Brazil. Now it's subject to a new lawsuit, this time from a group of students from Donghua University and the Beijing University of Chemical Technology.

According to the Shanghai Rule of Law Daily, the case was presented in an online hearing of the Beijing Internet Court Electronic Litigation Platform. Following a two-hour session, with evidence from both the students and Apple, the court is now reportedly gathering supporting evidence and written materials.

One of the students, a law one reports name only as Fang, began the campaign after buying an iPhone 12 Pro Max. It was one of the first without a charger, and her aims include getting Apple to provide a charger.

She also wants the company to pay 100 yuan (approximately $15.50), presumably per buyer, and pay litigation costs.

"Apple has a serious infringement of consumers' legitimate rights and interests," she said during the hearing. "Most consumers and even Apple employees are equally puzzled and angry about this, but most of them have become a silent majority."

Apple has argued that its box for the iPhone 12 Pro Max is clear that it does not include a charger. The company has previously said that the reason for the removal is to reduce carbon waste.

The case was first spotted by Vice.

Criticisms of Apple removing the charger come as the EU continues to propose that all mobile phone makers switch to a common USB-C charging standard.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    In the US or EU this would get laughed out of court.There’s ample precedent for companies doing this. HP and others not including USB cables for example. But in a Chinese court, all bets are off.
    igorskystompyviclauyycllamaStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 2 of 46
    equality72521equality72521 Posts: 184member
    “I demand less waste, less pollution and a green utopia - unless any of that means I don’t get stuff.”
    lkruppigorskystompybaconstangviclauyycllamaStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 3 of 46
    TerryLDTerryLD Posts: 2member
    I have a bunch I can send them. Headphones too. (I think this is one of the reasons Apple stopped including them.)
    igorskyllamaStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 46
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Good!  
    I'm glad somebody did!
    darkvaderolsanantksundaram
  • Reply 5 of 46
    george kaplangeorge kaplan Posts: 169member
    TerryLD said:
    I have a bunch I can send them. Headphones too. (I think this is one of the reasons Apple stopped including them.)
    Exactly right. The amount of electronic waste generated by every company which supplies a 5W brick charger is massive. Most of us tend to use the same brick for different devices, or buy a higher-wattage brick and use none of those which are included with newer purchases. 

    For $20 one can buy a higher-wattage charger of very good quality, pair it with one of many cables already in-house, and not add to the amount of electronic waste from things we either lose or actively throw away. 
    igorskybaconstangviclauyycStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 6 of 46
    igorskyigorsky Posts: 755member
    Yeah that's the problem in China...missing iPhone chargers.
    FileMakerFellerStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 7 of 46
    applguyapplguy Posts: 235member
    Light bulb sold separately… Batteries not included… These will also prevent you from using the device you just bought. Should every company be sued selling a non-functioning product. 
    FileMakerFellerStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 8 of 46
    kdupuis77kdupuis77 Posts: 81member
    Cost of lawsuit > $16 Apple Charger lol.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 46
    techridertechrider Posts: 102member
    Apple still includes a plastic logo sticker in every box, changes the phone dimensions which prevents you from reusing a protective plastic case that could easily last 5-7 years, and includes a charging cable that can’t be used until you buy something it can plug into. I think their green intentions contain a mixed message.
    GeorgeBMacOferdarkvaderols
  • Reply 10 of 46
    cincyteecincytee Posts: 404member
    I do not understand this attitude. I'm thrilled that Apple doesn't assume we need a new charger for every device and makes them available separately if needed. If you want to take 20% off if it's purchased as part of a bundle, that would be fine, but don't generate potential extra electronic waste.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 46
    mhmercermhmercer Posts: 3member
    I can imagine the after-market with the Apple Car: "I'm sorry. We don't provide wheels or tires when you purchase the car. Or paint. But, you do get Apple CarPlay".
    GeorgeBMacOferolsanantksundaram
  • Reply 12 of 46
    muthuk_vanalingammuthuk_vanalingam Posts: 1,333member
    TerryLD said:
    I have a bunch I can send them. Headphones too. (I think this is one of the reasons Apple stopped including them.)
    Exactly right. The amount of electronic waste generated by every company which supplies a 5W brick charger is massive. Most of us tend to use the same brick for different devices, or buy a higher-wattage brick and use none of those which are included with newer purchases. 

    For $20 one can buy a higher-wattage charger of very good quality, pair it with one of many cables already in-house, and not add to the amount of electronic waste from things we either lose or actively throw away. 
    Can you guess how MANY companies were supplying 5W brick chargers with their smartphones in the last 5 years? Yes, the e-waste of 5W brick charger was massive before it was discontinued altogether. Do you know how MANY companies (or which company) contributed to more than 90% of that e-waste?
    edited October 2021
  • Reply 13 of 46
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    techrider said:
    …includes a charging cable that can’t be used until you buy something it can plug into. I think their green intentions contain a mixed message.
    Really?  I just picked up my iPhone13 yesterday.  Opened it up, plugged it right into the same cable/charger in my wall that I’ve been using for years.

    I didn’t have to buy “something” to plug into it.

    your argument fails.
    llamaigorskyStrangeDayswatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 14 of 46
    waveparticlewaveparticle Posts: 1,497member
    Apple could do better. Apple should put a warning message in the ordering form stating that phone charger in not included. Further, at the end of ordering form there should be an option of adding a charger. If the customer still placing the order, the responsibility is not Apple. 
    Oferllamaols
  • Reply 15 of 46
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    sflocal said:
    techrider said:
    …includes a charging cable that can’t be used until you buy something it can plug into. I think their green intentions contain a mixed message.
    Really?  I just picked up my iPhone13 yesterday.  Opened it up, plugged it right into the same cable/charger in my wall that I’ve been using for years.

    I didn’t have to buy “something” to plug into it.

    your argument fails.

    His argument only fails once you realize Apple forced its customers to go out and buy USB-C bricks to support the USB-C cable it included in with its phone.  Prior to that, most used the obsolete 5W chargers Apple had been supplying.

    So, you already had one?   Should we applaud?
    muthuk_vanalingamdarkvadertechriderols
  • Reply 16 of 46
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,464member
    These are just law students trying their luck at cashing out. Everytime I get a Lightning or USB charger it just gets tossed in my USB graveyard.
    She should've bought a Samsung instead, the company that apes Apple at every corner is not including a charger either. Shocker!
    viclauyycwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 17 of 46
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    waveparticle said:
    Apple could do better. Apple should put a warning message in the ordering form stating that phone charger in not included. Further, at the end of ordering form there should be an option of adding a charger. If the customer still placing the order, the responsibility is not Apple. 

    I disagree.
    Apple upgraded their phones to be able to use 18+watt chargers.
    They then added USB-C cords able to transmit that power.
    But, instead of upgrading their charger they eliminated it and forced the user to buy one.

    They should have upgraded both back with the iPhone 8.

    The shameful part is:  it's being blamed on ecology while they funneled the savings off to their stockholders as share buybacks.  I would have more respect for this if they had been honest about it and simply said their stockholders needed the money more than their customers did.

    Or, alternatively (and probably more likely) the cost of their iPhone 12 had climbed so much (having to pay Qualcomm for their 5G modem along with the cost of an OLED display) their margin was being squeezed -- so they used this method to gain some of it back.

    In either case, I'm not buying the ecology defense.  I don't see mountains of charging bricks filling up landfills.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 18 of 46
    waveparticlewaveparticle Posts: 1,497member
    GeorgeBMac said:
    waveparticle said:
    Apple could do better. Apple should put a warning message in the ordering form stating that phone charger in not included. Further, at the end of ordering form there should be an option of adding a charger. If the customer still placing the order, the responsibility is not Apple. 

    I disagree.
    Apple upgraded their phones to be able to use 18+watt chargers.
    They then added USB-C cords able to transmit that power.
    But, instead of upgrading their charger they eliminated it and forced the user to buy one.

    They should have upgraded both back with the iPhone 8.

    The shameful part is:  it's being blamed on ecology while they funneled the savings off to their stockholders as share buybacks.  I would have more respect for this if they had been honest about it and simply said their stockholders needed the money more than their customers did.

    Or, alternatively (and probably more likely) the cost of their iPhone 12 had climbed so much (having to pay Qualcomm for their 5G modem along with the cost of an OLED display) their margin was being squeezed -- so they used this method to gain some of it back.

    In either case, I'm not buying the ecology defense.  I don't see mountains of charging bricks filling up landfills.
    No one will throw away a working charger. They will just put them in a storage box or recycle it. 
    jony0
  • Reply 19 of 46
    iOS_Guy80iOS_Guy80 Posts: 813member
    techrider said:
    Apple still includes a plastic logo sticker in every box, changes the phone dimensions which prevents you from reusing a protective plastic case that could easily last 5-7 years, and includes a charging cable that can’t be used until you buy something it can plug into. I think their green intentions contain a mixed message.
    And let’s not forget that ridiculous subscriber phone line charge you get hit with every time you upgrade your phone.
    llama
  • Reply 20 of 46
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    applguy said:
    Light bulb sold separately… Batteries not included… These will also prevent you from using the device you just bought. Should every company be sued selling a non-functioning product. 

    Yes, if they sold a non-functioning product they should be sued.  If all pieces to make something work aren't included, it should be sold as parts, not pretending to be a complete product.

    And maybe your experience is different, but everything I've bought in the last several years has had batteries included, and most lights include a bulb now.
    GeorgeBMac
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