Group of Chinese students sue Apple for not including charger with iPhone 12

October 28, 2021

Five Chinese students took Apple to court after finding out the iPhones they purchased did not come with phone chargers.

Samson and Goliath: The students, who attend Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Donghua University in Shanghai, challenged the tech giant after one of the students filed a lawsuit at Beijing Dongcheng District People’s Court in May, according to Global Times.

The group insisted that Apple include a wall charger for one of the students’ iPhone 12 Pro Max, pay 100 yuan ($16) for breaking the service contract and also pay for the lawsuit fee, the Shanghai Law Journal reported on Sunday.
In the online hearing in September, one of the students declared that the USB-C to Lightning cable included in the iPhone box could not be used with other chargers, Vice reported. The phone could not be charged, contradicting what Apple claims on its website. According to Chang Yachun, a lawyer from Beijing Kangda Law Firm, the lack of a charger in the iPhone’s box is a violation of the service contract because “Apple’s charger is its exclusive accessory; that is, the mobile phone can’t work normally”.
“As a TV remote control box, a charger is a necessary mobile phone accessory,” Yachun told Global Times.
Apple representatives countered the arguments, claiming the iPhone 12 Pro Max packaging comes with a disclaimer saying it does not come with a charger. In an effort to reduce carbon emissions, the company decided to stop including chargers and earphones in their iPhone boxes in 2020.

The news, which became a trending topic on Weibo that has received 340 million reads as of this writing, ignited discussions on Chinese social media. Some users showed support for the students while others argued that by purchasing the product, buyers consent to not receiving an Apple charger.

Featured Image via Lycurgus Shi

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