Apple France No Longer Legally Required to Include EarPods with iPhone 13

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 21 January 2022, 11:01 am

Starting Jan. 24, Apple can legally exclude EarPods from iPhone boxes sold in France. This news is according to an update posted by a French carrier.

Apple to Exclude EarPods in France

According to Consomac, the tech giant was previously required by law to include EarPods in the box with every single iPhone 13 purchase.

This is because the French law requires every smartphone sold in the country to have a hands-free kit inside of it.

However, the law has been changed to reduce the environmental footprint of devices.

Apple stopped including EarPods and the power adapter from the box since it launched iPhone 12 in 2020. The tech giant claimed that it is working on reducing its environmental footprint, according to MacRumors.

Also Read: Apple AirPods Release Date: Wireless Earphones On Sale Now, But Shipping Is Already Slipping

With EarPods and power adapter removed, the box was made thinner. Apple also got rid of both accessories from older iPhone models still available.

Despite the tech company's announcement about reducing its footprint, Apple was still required to continue shipping EarPods inside iPhone boxes in France.

According to the French law, Apple was obligated by the law to include the EarPods. It was based on the precautionary principle because the risks of exposing brains to electromagnetic waves are not extensively studied.

Now, that will no longer apply. According to the new French bill that was passed in the assembly, manufacturers of smartphones will no longer be required to include headphones in the box.

Instead, the manufacturers need to ensure that compatible headphones are available separately for people to purchase.

French carrier Fnac posted a notice, and it stated that iPhones would no longer ship with EarPods in the box beginning Jan. 24.

The regional website of Apple France still shows EarPods as an item included in the box with the iPhone 13, together with a lighting cable and USB-C cable. However, it is likely that the site will be updated in the next few weeks.

While the company did remove the EarPods from the box, the company reduced the price of the headphones from $29 to $19, so users can still easily purchase them separately.

Apple's decision to remove EarPods and the power adapter from the box was controversial in other countries as well. In 2021, Apple was fined $2 million in Brazil for not including the power adapter in the box.

Apple Fined in Brazil

Apple was fined $2 million in Sao Paulo, Brazil, over violations of the Consumer Law Code because the power adapter is missing in the box of newer iPhone models, according to 9to5Mac.

According to Tilt, Sao Paulo's consumer protection agency decided to fine the tech company after intense scrutiny over the decision to get rid of the power adapter from the boxes of iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 phones.

Apple explained that they did it to reduce carbon emissions and the use of rare-earth metals. However, the Brazilian agency informed the tech company that selling the phone in Brazil without a charger in the box is a violation of the country's Consumer Defense Code.