10 million euros fine!
Decidedly, it’s not the party at the moment at Apple. Indeed, a European consumer group has just sued Apple in connection with the famous case of defective batteries on the iPhone 6, 7 and SE. They claim 180 million euros from the manufacturer for lying to users.
And on Monday, December 7, 2020, it is the turn of the Italian justice to rub shoulders with the Cupertino company. Indeed, the country’s authorities have just condemned the apple brand to pay a fine of 10 million euros. The reason ? Misleading trade claims. In other words, the manufacturer failed to mention certain information regarding the water resistance of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and all models of iPhone 11.
Also read: iPhone 12 mini & MagSafe – a disappointing wireless charging?
Waterproof ? Under certain conditions …
As you may know, one of Apple’s selling points for these iPhones is have an IP 67 or 68 certification. Through these certifications, the company guarantees water resistance from one meter to four meters deep for thirty minutes. Only this protection is not in valid reality only in certain situations, a detail that Apple was careful not to specify.
According to the Italian competition authority, iPhones do not have the same resistance to sea water, or to chlorinated water in a swimming pool for example. Besides, Apple knows it well, since its warranty does not cover damage caused by liquids. ” Damage caused by liquid is not covered by the warranty, but you may have certain rights under consumer law ”, nuance the manufacturer on its site.
For the Italian authorities, Apple is not clear enough on the warranty and water resistance of these iPhones. The builder does not ask ” adequately the conditions and limits’ of the guarantee. In addition, the Italian courts consider that Apple’s refusal to repair an iPhone damaged by a liquid violates consumer rights. Apart from the settlement of this fine of 10 million euros, Apple will also have to publish this court decision on the home page of the manufacturer’s Italian site.
Do you want a truly waterproof smartphone? The Galaxy Samsung S20 is at € 579 instead of € 909 and the OnePlus 8 Pro is at 674 € instead of 899 €. Two IP68 devices that do not take water so …
Source: Reuters
