Many people will surely be surprised by the rumors that Apple is removing the charger instead of including it in the box for iPhone 12 buyers, but with the recent predictions from “analyst” Ming-Chi Kuo regarding this decision, there is a 90% chance it will become a reality.
This is not only because Kuo’s predictions tend to be quite accurate close to Apple’s official launch events, but also because there are reasonable explanations for this seemingly illogical decision.
Cost Savings for the New iPhone 12
According to Kuo, one reason for this decision is that Apple wants the price of the iPhone 12 line to be equivalent to the iPhone 11. Many previous rumors suggest that all four versions of this year’s iPhone 12 will be equipped with 5G connectivity technology. Since 5G modems are significantly more expensive than previous generation modems, eliminating the EarPod earphones and the charger from the iPhone 12 box could compensate for the increased costs from the new components.
Removing the EarPod earphones makes sense since the 3.5mm jack is no longer present on most iPhones. Moreover, Apple is also tapping into a new gold mine with the wireless AirPods, making including wired earphones somewhat redundant.
Currently, the 5W charger that used to be included with older iPhone models is sold by Apple for $19. Eliminating it along with the EarPod earphones not only saves costs on accessories but also reduces the size of the iPhone box. This, in turn, helps Apple save on packaging and shipping costs for each unit.
Surely, many people will feel annoyed when they open their new phone to find they have to buy a charger separately to use it. However, in reality, the widespread popularity of smartphones in recent years has made USB-A chargers, like the 5W charger typically included by Apple, too common. For some who have upgraded their devices multiple times, this charger may even be superfluous.
Therefore, even without the included charger, this is not necessarily a disaster for users as they can easily reuse their old chargers to power their new iPhone. Moreover, just like the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 previously to encourage people to buy AirPods, this decision could also be a bait to sell a new accessory from Apple: the fast charger.
Bait for Another Accessory
Along with leaked images showing a prototype fast charger of 20W from Apple, Kuo also indicated that this charger will be sold separately, rather than included as it was with the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. The decision not to include a charger in the iPhone 12 box will create a boost to encourage users to seek out this fast charger, especially since it has a charging capacity four times that of the standard charger.
Not only will it encourage users to spend extra money on the fast charger, but also on the cable for it. Unlike standard chargers, Apple’s 20W fast charger uses a USB-C port, so it is almost certain that users will need to purchase a new cable to connect from USB-C to Lightning.
Perhaps only those who bought the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max will benefit from this, as they already received a free 18W fast charger with USB-C last year. With many rumors suggesting that the iPhone 12 will still use the Lightning port, they may not even need to buy a new charger and cable as the power of the charger is not significantly lower than that of the new fast charger.
While it is certain that Apple will face criticism and many iFans will feel annoyed by this decision, the habit of spending extra money for additional experiences has been ingrained for many years, so this will not be a major issue for iPhone users.
Evidence of Apple’s Environmental Efforts
Additionally, environmental advocates may be satisfied with Apple’s decision. With an average of 200 million new iPhones sold each year, not including a new charger will help millions of quality used chargers continue to be reused instead of being thrown away due to excess.
For many years, Apple has faced criticism for creating devices that are too difficult to repair, especially with accessories like AirPods, where the battery quickly degrades but cannot be replaced, leading them to be discarded when they reach the end of their life. This could be seen as an unintended consequence of Apple pursuing its product design philosophy.
Therefore, in recent years, Apple has been trying to change that image. Not only has it equipped many of its offices with solar panels, but it has also built a machine capable of disassembling old iPhones to recycle the components within. Now, encouraging users to reuse their old chargers is also part of Apple’s efforts.