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.

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.

20 Comments

tommikele 599 comments · 12 Years

About 3 years ago

You have a "right" to have a charger included and in the box?

Is there no limit to the stupidity of such a group?Calling them stupid is too kind.

clexman 216 comments · 15 Years

I should sue every company I’ve ever bought anything from that was sold, “batteries not included.” Better yet, I should sue people who sell lamps that don’t come with lightbulbs.

JFC_PA 947 comments · 7 Years

I’ve a drawe full of old chargers and cables, I’m happy not to add to the collection each and every time I buy a device. That’s obviously the theory behind the EU regulations on chargers.

And, arguably, the price would be HIGHER were a charger thrown in, so we’re getting a savings.

Maybe Apple Taiwan should put a barrel outside their stores where people could dump the extras for others to grab as needed.

jungmark 6927 comments · 13 Years

Ridiculous. Who doesn’t have a charger plug by now?

i suppose someone completely new to technology may not have a plug.

dewme 5737 comments · 10 Years

They must not sell packaged ice cream (or many other consumer products) in grocery stores in Taiwan. Price stays the same, but the size/quantity of the product included at the price goes down. Is this a price increase? Hell yeah. But when did raising prices become a crime? It's all market driven. Ford, GM, and RAM aren't going to stop selling pickup trucks at an average selling price of $55K as long as customers are lining up 10 deep to buy them and option them up further to $75K+ pickup trucks before they get them off the lot.

My suggestion would be for Apple to either make their iPhone ordering process more like ordering a pizza, i.e,, extras cost extra, or sell predefined bundles that include accessories you want or need at a bundled price that reflects the value/quality of the bundled accessories you choose. If anyone is lamenting Apple not including the ridiculously anemic 5W charger that used to come with their iPhone, they'll be very happy to know that for an extra $20 they'll get said anemic charger in the bundle and redirect their attention to figuring out how to amuse themselves for the hours of wasted time they'll be sitting around waiting for their damn phone to charge. Or they can upgrade to a bundle that includes a 20W charger, and maybe some discounted AirPods and enjoy living in the early 21st century.