For not including chargers with its iPhone 12, Apple was fined US$2 million (S$2.7 million) by the consumer protection agency in São Paulo, Brazil.

The consumer protection regulator, Procon-SP, said the fine was imposed "for misleading advertising, selling a device without the charger and unfair terms," according to 9to5Mac, a site that reports on all Apple-related news.

Procon-SP said Apple had failed to respond when asked if the iPhone 12's price was reduced after taking the charger away.

Apple had not responded to similar questions either, such as the price difference of the iPhone with and without the charger, and if the company is not producing as many chargers as before.

The iPhone 12 Pro is listed on the Apple website at S$1,649 in Singapore.

Apple says removal of accessories is environmentally-friendly

Apple had previously announced in October last year that it would not be including chargers or Lightning EarPods with its new iPhone 12 series.

Each phone, however, comes with a single USB-C to Lightning cable.

The move applies to its older lineups of iPhones as well, including the iPhone XR, iPhone 11 and 2020 iPhone SE, The Verge reported.

Apple has cited environmental reasons for the move, saying the exclusion of the accessories allows the company to consume less raw materials for each iPhone sold.

Apple also said it allows a smaller retail box, which enables more units to fit on a single shipping pallet, thus reducing carbon emissions.

The American multinational tech giant claimed the move will help cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, which is the amount 450,000 cars emit each year.

Apple required to sell iPhone 12 with chargers in Brazil

Previously in December last year, Procon-SP announced that Apple is required to sell its iPhone 12 with chargers, 9to5Mac reported.

Procon-SP had also asked Apple to prove that the exclusion of chargers would not harm consumers, as well as to clarify the real benefits of the move to the environment, according to 9to5Mac.

Apple then responded by saying most users already have a compatible charger, and stood by its claim that the move will reduce carbon emissions.

Procon-SP considers the power adaptor an essential component to use the product. It also claims that selling the iPhone without an adaptor breaches the Brazilian Consumer Defense Code.

Top image adapted via Brett Jordan/Unsplash & Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images