The much-acclaimed ‘Water Resistance’ functionality has been confirmed by Apple in their iPhone 8-11. They are water-resistant for up to 30 minutes. However, as per a report from Chiphell, Italy’s main competition regulator has raised its opposition to this claim. Henceforth, it has taken the decision to fine Apple €12m for it.
Italy Charges Apple €12m for Deceptive Water Resistant Claims
According to the regulatory concerned, Apple has deceived its customers in two key areas concerning the water-resistance feature. Firstly, the Company’s guarantee of the iPhone 8 to iPhone 11 being waterproof for up to 30 minutes at 3 to 13 feet is not precise. Certainly, this could be because Apple tested this under laboratory conditions where they used pure water. But, keep in mind that most water is not pure. Therefore, dropping an iPhone down the drain will create problems in just a few seconds.
Multa da € 10 mln ad Apple da antitrust italiano x "pratiche commerciali ingannevoli ed aggressive" sulla resistenza all’acqua dell’"Iphone" (sì, è scritto così, ma 1 volta): si esalta l’impermeabilizzazione ma poi la garanzia nn copre i danni da liquidi https://t.co/vuH8Yu826c
— setteBIT (@setteBIT) November 30, 2020
Besides this, the regulatory body further stated that this ‘claim’ by Apple seems rather doubtful. This is because if an iPhone is damaged by ‘liquid’ and the Company’s warranty expires.
Bottom-line
Apple has not made any such response to this fine. Take note that the sum of €12m fine is a very minute amount of money for a huge company like Apple. The Company will probably face-off this call only if they notice their high probability of winning. Nonetheless, Apple does have a story of fighting fines charged upon them.
