In early December, the Italian antitrust commission fined two companies, Apple International and Apple Italia, EUR10 mn for false advertising of smartphones and failure to meet obligations guaranteed when purchasing their mobile phones.

In its ads, Apple claims that smartphones are water-resistant up to 4 metres of depth for 30 minutes, whereas control established that it was true, namely that it was valid under lab conditions only. Static and clean water s used in lab testing, which certainly does not apply to real-life conditions.

The fine was set because Apple refused to admit damages caused on smartphones by water or some other liquid, although it was mandatory under a warranty.

The best sold mobile phones in Italy are Samsung – three out of five, followed by China’s Xiaomi. Apple is fourth, with a sales drop of 10 percent this year.

Author: Tanjug