Italy’s competitors authority stated Monday it had fined Apple EUR 10 million (roughly Rs. 90 crores) for misleading claims about the water resistant properties of several iPhone models.
It stated the US tech giant “did not make it clear that this feature exists under certain specific conditions”, notably in laboratory tests with static and pure water, “and not under normal conditions of use”.
It cited promotional claims relating to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11pro and iPhone 11 pro Max models.
The authority also rapped Apple for a disclaimer that the warranty for the smartphones did not cover harm triggered by liquids, saying it “was deemed to mislead consumers”.
In addition, it stated Apple’s refusal to present warranty service when the iPhone models concerned had been broken by liquids amounted to “an aggressive commercial practice”.
“For these reasons, the authority has decided to impose penalties totalling EUR10 million (roughly Rs. 90 crores) on Apple Distribution International and on Apple Italia,” it stated in a statement.