Apple Reportedly Not Including Chargers with Next iPhone Release

By Clayton Jacobs…, 29 June, 2020

Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories

Today, Endgadget reported that Apple may not include a charger with the next iPhone release. Yes, I have several iPhone chargers. That's not the point. If I'm going to be paying $1,500 plus for the new iPhone 12 Pro Max, which I plan on buying when it comes out, it better have a charger included in the damn box! The same goes for all iPhone models. This skimping of Apple to increase its profits is beyond ridiculous. First, it was the headphone jack, and now this. Here's the link to the article: https://www.engadget.com/apple-iphone-12-may-not-include-charger-in-box-230211770.html Sound off what you think about this in the comments.

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Comments

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

I am planning to get the 12 pro. If apple does so, they are going to hear from all.

By KE7ZUM on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

I actually don't see it as a big deal. I lost my wall wart charger but I'm fine. I have a power cube which is not beeing made anymore, and I just plug my usb charger into that. Now if it does not ship witht he cable, then I'll be mad. But I don't have to worry there either. I have an anchor cable that is way better than apple's cables anyway.

By Ishkabibble on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

This isn't a big deal for me either. I use a wirelesscharger for my iPhone already which will serve me well in the years to come, and I have high-quality cloth cables when I need them. I heard from other articles that removing the charger from the iPhone box would also reduce costs and lessen the environmental impact of iPhone manufacturing as well, since chargers make up a large fraction of electronic waste in landfills. I understand why some first-time iPhone buyers would be upset, but good wireless chargers and fast chargers are pretty cheap these days.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

I don’t think that’s true, these are just speculations/rumors.

By Igna Triay on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

If they do pull such a stunt they won't be hearing the end of it from everyone, the backlash will be huge. Yes I also have extra chargers, but weather one has or has not is not the point. Apple, and every other company has been shipping chargers with their devices. Although i'm not surprised if they do this; after all, with the newer mac moddles, with USVC, you don't get any adaptors included, which should be included by default, given USVC is not completely universal and usv is still the main thing... However if going by this example of not including USVC to usv / sd card adaptors with the macs... Signs are pointing that yes, they won't include chargers with the new phones, which if is the case, is completely ridiculous.

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Saw video in which they did so to able to bring the price down. This is why they will be close to $600 or $700. I be OK if the price is so. Amazon has nice deal on the cables.

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Keep in mind, we also heard rumors that the notch would be disappearing, that there would be an in-display fingerprint sensor, and that there would be a smart connector on the side, and that the iPhone might even get Apple Pencil support. They're just rumors.

Let's say Apple actually doesn't include a charger in the box. Maybe it has to do with that universal port EU ruling or whatever. It will be annoying, yes, but how many of us don't already have at least one charging brick laying around? If you don't because you've never owned a USB-powered device before, or if you have nothing but crappy 5 watt chargers, well not to worry. You can go on Amazon and buy a high quality, high power, multi port charger from Anker for about 10 bucks. I did this just a few weeks ago when I bought my mom a 30-watt, dual port GaN charging brick from Anker for 9 bucks for her phone and bluetooth speaker. My point is, I don't think Apple will remove the charging brick. Even if they do, it will be an annoyance at worst. Buying a $600 smartphone when you can't afford a $10 or $20 charger isn't out of the realm of possibility, but it's still a bad idea. Don't take me as defending this. I have plenty of beef with Apple already, but after the shouting is done, I'll probably just go online and buy a charging brick. Stuff like this is actually common in Japan, so not shipping a charger isn't a totally alien concept.

TL;DR it's a rumor, but even if it isn't, it's an annoyance at worst.

By Clayton Jacobs… on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

In reply to by Unregistered User (not verified)

Whoa! If they can bring super fast wireless charging to the iPhone, and especially solar charging, that would be so sick! I would welcome those changes, especially since I live in the Phoenix, AZ metro area, and there's sunshine here most of the time.

By SeasonKing on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Probblem is that it would be very slow to charge phones with a solar panel which is as small as the phone itself. Remember, if it's going to be charged by Solar, it has to have a solar plate to receive sunlight, and the solar cells that are there in these solar panels aren't that efficient to charge a phone that quickly with that small surface area. We see solar power plants, but the panels they talk about are measuring in meters, not in inches or centimeters.
Some watches do have solar charging capabilities, but watch doesn't consume that much power, and it doesn't have that power hungry colour display.

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Well for Chris, you might want to talk to them also because Thomas brought up this issue in his podcast.

By Brian Giles on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

I'd be for this if they do it. I already have a few iPhone power bricks that I don't use because I have a dual wireless charger. I think my last couple iPhones I never even took the charging brick out of the box.

This isn't the first time Apple has done something like this. Way back when iPods first came out, you used to get all kinds of accessories with it, then later on you'd just get the absolute essentials; USB cable, earbuds and iTunes install CD. Noone complained then.

1000 years from now, people will find the applecharging brickand wander about it. Many discussion will be have about the purpose of this brick.

At that price, it had better come with what we need to run it. Another option they could, and maybe should, offer is the phone with no cable, no charger, or neither charger or cable, for reduced costs. If this is someone's first iPhone, it should include what is needed to charge it. Period!

By charles on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

In reply to by Holger Fiallo

How many devices do we buy, only to find that, although a cable is provided, the charger is not? I paid $129 for a guitar tuner, and it did not come with a charger. The same is true for a $115 bone conduction headset. I do not appreciate this trend one bit. Unfortunately, it is growing. They ASSUME that you already have a charger that accepts a USB cable. And you know the phrase dealing with assume?

By LaBoheme on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

don't worry, they will all still come with apple stickers. maybe you already have a lot, maybe they are bad for the environment, or you have stuck them everywhere and have run out of place, but you'll still get them, no question asked.

the charging brick comes with the iphone probably costs apple $4.8 to make. suppose apple sell 200 mln iphones, that's an additional 1 bln profit for apple, meanwhile they can sell the same stuff for $30. and of course you better buy official apple charger, otherwise, if your phone blows up or you get electric shock, you'll be blamed for buying bad chargers.

By Jeff on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

What I think they should do is include a coupon for a free or very low cost charger in the box. That way, those of us who have drawers full of chargers can pass on another one, but for those who don't already have a charger, they could pick one up for cheap or free. They could even make it a coupon worth a percentage off of any compatible charger, so one could choose whether to get the lower cost slow charger or go for a fast charger or even a wireless charger.

By SeasonKing on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

The last post is on to something. Hell, they can provide an option while we are buying it that whether we want a charger or a coupon. And guess what, may be those coupons if you accumulate too many of them, could be used to buy some other accessory of those coupons's value.

By Holger Fiallo on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

In reply to by LaBoheme

I never use them. I suppose I can place them on Bella the cat but she would be mad of me. She might hide my slippers again. She knows I am blind. No apple stickers for Bella.

By Devin Prater on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Lol to all those who say it's just speculation, or release some steam with "spec, u, lay, shons!", remember the iPhone 7? The loss of the headphone jack was just speculation too. "oh, Apple would never, never ever never do that! Apple cares too much about us blind people do get rid of the headphone jack!" Well, where are we now? Blind people use AirPods or just blast all their personal, private information on their phones through the speakers for everyone nearby to hear. Did you know that there are some people who can tell which number you press on a phone through the tone it makes? Yeah, headphones are actually important. And you will get Airpods and you will love them because Apple. But this isn't about just headphones.

Now, if they get rid of the charging block by default, then I hope they have a way to order the iPhone with the block online. And, if you go to an Apple Store, you'll surely be able to get one for maybe $5 or less. Remember, the AirPods Pro ear tips are $2. So no, Apple doesn't nickel and dime us out of everything, just many things. Oh hello wired headphones. Those may not be in the box either, because of course everyone has, and loves, Bluetooth headphones... right? right? What do you mean no!

So, if they do this, it can easily be gotten around during purchase, either at the store or online. Now, doesn't that sound better than the heartless MacDailyNews take (paraphrased) of "well everyone should have this already and if you don't you must be a poor dirt cheap Android user and should learn to appreciate doing without. And if you come home without a charging block that proves that you're stupid," sort of arrogant, mean-spirited superiority? I could be wrong, but I think that Apple really is into this whole "save the planet or we're dead in 12/10/5 years" thing. So, of course they'd want to stop selling the things most made into digital waste. Of course, that doesn't include Airpods, which die in about two years, because hey it's a very popular product and well greed always trumps good-will, even for the planet, even for the "best" company ever. Really, not much has changed. You'll get your iPhones, and you can request a charging block and EarPods. Maybe they'll even lower the price of the iPhone, so that you are made to feel like you're spending more if you don't use Apple's "think different" logic of "well I mean if you buy the (now) extra stuff, it'll be the price of the iPhone as it would have been if we had put the extra stuff in," sort of stuff. So don't panic about it. It'll probably happen, just like the loss of the headphone jack. And just like the headphone jack, we'll hear a little fuss about it. But we've been conditioned to just accept what our authorities do to us: Apple, Google, Microsoft, those who can code, government. So yeah, we blind people will complain just about all on the forums, and maybe send a few messages to Apple accessibility because that's the only Apple email we know by heart. Then, we'll calm down and get used to it and occasionally reference it when Apple changes yet another thing we don't like. But we'll still buy the iPhones, Apple Watches, Airpods, Apple TV's, a Mac or two, and Apple Glasses when they come out. I'm just forecasting here, of course. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

By peter on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

We have become so used to getting a supposedly "free" charger and "free" cable with our devices. But are they really "free"

After going through several iPhones and/or iPods, etc., how many chargers and cables does one need piling up in one's desk? Obviously the cables and chargers do cost something and, although they might seem to be "free" if included in the box, what that really means is THAT you're paying for it through higher costs without really getting any choice about it.

Sometimes it isn't so bad to pay for what you actually need or want and not pay extra for things that you don't need or want.

But again, we've been trained by years and years of doing things one way and it is hard to change long standing practices and do things another way.

--Pete

By Unregistered User (not verified) on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

In reply to by Devin Prater

I get it. Losing accessories is frustrating. I'm still salty about the headphone jack. I prefer Bluetooth for daily use, but the jack has gotten me out of multiple binds in the past. The charger is vital for the use of a phone. No phone's useful for more than a few hours without it, but you're being excessively sardonic.

First, about the jack. It sucks, and I do not defend them in the slightest for it. I think they're full of crap and just want to sell Airpods. It's more than just the blind who used it. Anyone who chooses not to buy compatible headphones is now stuck blaring out their info. I'd say we actually have an advantage over the sighted. They have to protect an entire screen that can be seen at a distance while all we have to do is raise the speech rate high enough and keep the volume low. Turn the screen curtain on, and nobody can see your display. There are cheap bluetooth solutions out there. Is it as good as wired solutions? Hell no, but if the angry shouts of millions of customers wasn't enough to change Apple's mind, then I doubt there's anything we can do.

Now about the charger. My previous points still stand, but it's a contentious issue. On one hand, the charger is vital for making your phone work and Apple should keep it in the box. On the other hand, many people have already owned multiple smartphones, and throwing in a charger is just extra stuff that they'll never use because isn't it just the same as last year's charger anyway? Maybe they have a wireless charging pad, which is my guess as to what Apple is nudging users toward if this rumor turns out to be true. Maybe they already have a nice set of 3rd-party charging accessories and prefer them over whatever Apple might include in the box. I remember lightning cables back in my iPod Touch days being particularly fragile and becoming more and more fickle about charging to the point where I'd have to wedge it between a wallet and some cardboard to keep it straight. I highly, strongly doubt Apple would remove the cable itself though. There's also the environmental angle to consider. Personally, I think this is a weak argument. There's already giant factories kicking out pollution to make phones filled with lovely materials like fiberglass for circuit boards, solvents, adhesives, and nature's favorite, lithium-ion batteries. I suppose there's always the possibility that manufacturing chargers is almost as bad as the phones themselves.

People like Renee Richie and Marques Brownlee have already chimed in and given their takes on this. I recommend watching their videos since they lay out these arguments far more eloquently and tactfully than I ever could. I don't have anywhere near enough info to give a definitive answer on which side is more right in this argument. I think both make good points. I think it boils down to how important you consider included phone accessories to be.

As for me, I don't mind too much. Between my hobby electronics and previous Android phones, I have more than enough chargers. That's likely not to be a scenario everyone else finds themselves in. Maybe some people go out of their way to have just one charger and absolutely need their stuff to come with it. I do think Apple should at the very least give iPhone buyers a voucher to purchase a first-party charger at a discounted rate. All that said, I absolutely think dropping a vital accessory without warning would be a low blow, even by Apple standards. If they're smart about it, they'll have the option to remove the charger from the purchase for a discount. So if you decide to go without it, they'll knock a little off the retail price. Fingers crossed they learned a lesson from the Pro Stand price announcement. Making customers feel like they got a deal instead of making them feel like they got ripped off will do them a lot of good. The pro models better include the charger in that thousand-dollar pricetag at least, but Apple not including their wimpy 5-watt brick with the standard models won't be making me shed too many tears.

Were still a few months away, so maybe this could all turn out to be false. Maybe we'll all open up our shiny new squared-off iPhones and find that comforting little shiny white brick underneath all the paperwork. Then we'll laugh at how much we argued about it.

One can hope.

By mority on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Hey,

not really a big matter for me, I have a bunch of wall chargers and cables lying around from older Apple devices, most of my charging is done via wireless charging anyways because my lightning jack broke about 2 years and I haven't gotten around fixing it yet.

Taking the missing charger abit further, if you don't have a charger in the box, the boxes might get smaller. Smaller boxes mean you can put more of the boxes into aircrafts and onto trucks or ships, meaning that more devices can be transported with less polution of the environment.

Greetings Moritz.

By Justin on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

Hi,
I don't even use the apple iPhone wall charger. It's slow, and doesn't support fast charging. I read on apple insider that the new iPhone 12 models will use a 20W USBC adapter. USBC to lightning cable. I'll see what comes out at launch! If that solar charging thing ever did come out, Clay, it would be totally awesome in your area, since you get sun almost every day, except monsoon seasons lol!

By KE7ZUM on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

A survey asked by apple and emailed to some people with iPhones already asked about the charger. I have not gotten one and this might not mean anything, but we'll see. The article is a very interesting read though.

By Khushi on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

okay I know I am not going to change my IPhone in about 3-4 years now.. but one question..
can an IPhone 6s charger support IPhone 12 charging?
probably no. why? 12s battery is going to be larger than the 6s. means slow charging with that. and wireless charging? have never used it. basically I agree with the voucher idea. or while buying, it can be asked by the consumer that do u want a charger or not. or dear apple, just, include it! for people like myself, please do!
and the headphone jack?
do u know I bought an Iphone 6s just because I was concerned about this headphone jack. what if I didn't feel comfortable without one?

and I chose apple because of its accessibility. cause no matter how many bugs there are, I'd still say its better than android, at least for me. *not sponsored to say this****

By KE7ZUM on Sunday, July 5, 2020 - 16:26

I'm fine with no headphone jack, in fact my stuff sound better without one. So I'm also not wirried about no charger. Love wireless charging.