Apple Hit With ‘Planned Obsolescence’ Lawsuit Over Fourth-Generation iPad
Apple’s legal troubles in Brazil grew on Thursday, as news emerged that the company has been hit with a class-action suit alleging that the quick release of the fourth-generation iPad constitutes “planned obsolescence” with regard to its predecessor.
Brazil’s Jornal do Comérciao reports that the Brazilian Institute of Politics and Law Software (IBDI) has filed suit against the iPad maker, claiming that the company could have, when launching the third-generation “New iPad,” implemented all of the technological upgrades it introduced in the fourth-generation model. Apple’s failure to do so, the suit alleges, amounts to planned obsolescence and unfair business practices.
“Consumers thought [they were] buying high-end equipment not knowing [it] was already an obsolete version,” says IBDI attorney Sergio Palomares.
The New iPad and iPad with Retina display are different in three ways.
For one, the current generation tablet includes an A6X processor versus the A5X processor that came with the discontinued iPad 3. It also includes a FaceTime HD camera. The previous model included a VGA front-facing videophone camera. Finally, the iPad 4 includes Apple’s new Lightning connector. The iPad 3 included a 30-pin connector.
It should also be noted that iPad 3 buyers who had purchased their tablet within 30 days of the iPad 4 announcement were able to make a return. In addition, some retailers extended this policy even further.
Apple also faces a struggle over rights to the iPhone brand in the country, having lost the right to the trademark after a court found in favor of Gradiente Electronica, a company that first registered the iPhone trademark in 2000.
