A leaker with a solid track-record has backed reports that the iPhone 12 will ship with no charger or EarPods.
Such a move will not only reduce costs for Apple, it will enable shipping in a much slimmer box which is better for the environment.
The report comes from the Twitter account @L0vetodream, which correctly predicted the iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard and iPhone SE launches several months ahead.
In my dream, the new iPhone will not come with the charger and earphone, this even applying to SE2. The new packaging box become thinner, and Exquisite.
https://twitter.com/L0vetodream/status/1278206861989175296
The suggestion that Apple would exclude EarPods from the iPhone 12 box was first made by Ming-Chi Kuo… A separate Kuo report then said that Apple would also be omitting the charger from the box.
MacDailyNews Take: While we’ll hear complaints, many people have multiple chargers lying around from previous generation iPhones and iPads. Many people have already purchased wireless Qi chargers for their iPhones. Ditto for AirPods.
Don’t discount the possibility of Apple unveiling an “AirPower” wireless charging mat alongside the iPhone 12/Max/Pro/Pro Max reveal.
For those who don’t have a charger on hand, they’ll have to buy one. If they forget or don’t realize that, when the get home with their new iPhone or it arrives by delivery, those are who’ll complain the loudest. At least Apple ships iPhones fully charged out of the box, so the charger-less will have at least a day to get a charger (garbage versions of which can be found basically everywhere, COVID-19 issues to picking one up in person notwithstanding). Most users will want a genuine Apple or high-quality (Anker) wired or wireless charger.
Oh, I’ll complain, too. Apple’s nickel and diming has gotten out of hand, this makes zero sense. Between stuff like this, Apple Arcade, gluing hardware together – they seem to be determined to shoot themselves in both feet and then reload. I think it’s safe to say the momentum built by Jobs’ Apple is entirely kaput. And no, Linux is not a viable alternative, even after all this time.
The auto industry has a term for the gradual removal of standard features that become options over the life of a car model. It’s called de-contenting.
Headphones out : good
Charger out: bad
New users require a charger. Old users happily use them in various locations. Whereas wireless Airpods are a huge convenience, wireless charging is a minimal improvement. Cheap substitute chargers are a fire hazard, and Apple will be burned with those fire reports.
I’m not sure if everywhere is the same but quite a number of places in NYC have USB charging stations, even on buses. As long as Apple provides the USB-A to Lightning cable, most users should be good to go if most cities are like NYC. I doubt most consumers will have a problem with charging their iPhone. I think this missing charger thing is overblown but that’s just my opinion because I have plenty of chargers already. We’ll see if most purchasers decide that a missing charger is a deal-breaker. It would be nice if there was a survey about this to find out if it’s a problem, but even if it is a problem, Apple isn’t going to add a charger if the decision has been made.
It’s said that Apple will save a lot on shipping costs due to the lighter and smaller box and is actually doing the planet’s ecology a favor by eliminating unnecessary e-waste. Tens of millions less chargers and EarPods seems like a good thing to me.
Thank you for sharing!
Forex
Removing these items makes Apple look cheap and results in loss of good will of the Non-Apple diehard. At best, Apple must have determined their cost savings is worth more than these intangible assets. At worst, no consideration was given.
Only way this is acceptable is if the cost savings are actually passed on to the customer, not into Apple’s pockets
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Apple to make a commensurate reduction in price.
And FWIW, the claim of “Exquisite packaging” is a pretty bogus one, because going from one box to two (or 3 boxes, for a headset) won’t be a smaller package than one. And trying to carry two boxes is less ‘dreamy’ than one already conveniently compact box.
From a manufacturing standpoint, having 2 (or 3) boxes replaces one box increase one’s costs spent on packaging, plus it is more resource-intensive (worse for the environment).
But I get it: Apple knows that their cheap wired headset is an embarrassing piece of garbage that they’d like to get rid of, and pulling both it and the charger out of the box is a sly move to get it out of the market and help make people forget about it.
I predict lawsuits. Lots of them. I predict the EU will also start an investigation and likely file suit too. The U.S. Government, which is starting an investigation into Apple’s practices, may get involved too.
The primary complaint will be, “I’m new to the iPhone. I cannot even charge it with what Apple provides with the iPhone. The purchase becomes useless after a day or two. Apple is at fault for selling something it KNOWS consumers cannot use after a day or two of use.”
What does it say about Apple quality if the charger lasts the life of several phones? Also, having multiple chargers around is USEFUL. You can have one in the car, one in the workspace, and one in the bedroom. It gets so tiring watching MDN pitching this nickel-and-diming as a good thing.
Yes, the Apple chargers hold up pretty well — its the cords that do not.
And yes, having spare chargers is quite useful: I keep two in my “electronics Go Bag” for use when I’m on the road: being dedicated to travel, it becomes one more thing that one can be packed the night before and thus not forget to pack in the morning.
I know we call it the charger… but it’s really a transformer. All it does is step voltage down and deliver a steady current.
My guess is that Apple will lower the selling price and that the price of the iPhone with the optional earbuds and 5W transformer will match the $999 price tag the current phone enjoys.
$949 – iPhone
$19 5W charger
$29 earbuds
Some people would prefer to take that $50 and spend it on Airpods, or a battery bank or something else.
I think its noteworthy to stat that since all of the stock splits apple stock has fallen significantly. At some point they will have to get back to innovation.
CBD