With Apple considering dropping the charger from the iPhone 12 box contents, new reports claim Samsung is planning to do the same in 2021.
A report from ETNews in Samsung’s South Korean homeland claims phones like the forthcoming Galaxy S30 might arrive without the traditional mains adapter (via The Verge).
“Details of the timing and method have not been confirmed, but Samsung is expected to exclude chargers starting with some models released next year,” the translated report says.
It would be a cost cutting measure, but also one that could win Samsung plaudits from environmentalists justifiably campaigning for big tech firms to cut back on electronic waste.
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The EU in particular has been pushing Apple to adopt the predominant USB-C standard in an attempt to reduce the staggering 51,000 tonnes of waste that goes into landfill every single year. There’s no indication Apple is planning is planning to do this just yet, but may be willing to compromise in other ways.
Given a large proportion of its user base will already have a number of compatible power bricks, it’s unlikely to be missed too much by users, if Samsung decides to go ahead with the reported plan.
Samsung could lower the cost of the phone slightly and make chargers available at an additional cost. This would be especially effective for those who want higher-end fast-charging power bricks.
Should both Apple and Samsung take this course, the rest of the industry is almost certain to follow suit. Apple has been sending surveys to users who have recently updated their iPhone handsets in an attempt to lean more about what they do with their charging bricks.
Considering Apple has been shipping the same 5W charger since the very first iPhone, it’s highly likely some users have many of these at their disposal. At last count I had 13.
Would you care if Apple and Samsung stopping shipping phones with power bricks? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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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.