For weeks we’ve been hearing Apple is looking for ways to offset the cost of the 5G components so it doesn’t have to raise the price of the iPhone 12.
For months we’ve been hearing that Apple may not ship the EarPods earphones and charging brick with the iPhone 12 to lessen its environmental impact. Now those rumours are congregating with a new report suggesting Apple will cut iPhone 12 costs by removing the accessories from the box.
A new note from research firm TrendForce (via Apple Insider) says Apple will simply offer a Lightning cable with the iPhone 12 in order to “cut costs and stabilise retail pricing.”
Related: Best iPhone 2020
The report says: “The BOM costs of the iPhone 12 models are significantly higher compared with the models in the previous series because of the 5G support. To cut costs and stabilize retail pricing, Apple has decided to sell the upcoming iPhones without accessories such as wired earphones, power adapter, etc.”
The main reason for the bill of goods cost to leap would be the mmWave 5G modem Apple is said to be utilising for the iPhone 12, which would provide higher-end, next-gen mobile data speeds. Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Sub-6GHz 5G costs of $75–$85 for Apple and millimetre wave will cost $125–$135.
We’re not sure whether these accessories will indeed be sacrificed, or whether there’ll be any more corners cut in order to keep the iPhone 12 at a reasonable price. Kuo has also told investors (via MacRumors), Apple will be looking to cut the costs of battery technology to make up for the additional 5G pricing. The battery tech would feature “a simpler and smaller design with fewer layers,” with the plan that it would lower battery costs by 40-50%.
Would you be bothered if Apple dropped the brick charger and EarPods from the iPhone 12 box? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
