iPhone 12 No Charger In Box: The Good, The Bad, And Future Explained

Xclusive Byte
5 min readNov 4, 2020

The recently launched iPhone 12 lineup with a refreshed design, 5G, and a more durable screen. What it didn’t accompany may be a charger within the box. Apple has decided to separately sell the facility adapter as an accessory for $19.

The company is under attack from fans, with memes lighting up the web, but there’s another side to the story too. Here, we’ll talk intimately about the iPhone 12 charger sold separately, and what it means for Apple and for you.

The Charger E-Waste Menace

If you purchase the new iPhone 12 series, the box will accompany just the iPhone, a USB Type-C to Lightning cable, a sim tool, and minimal paperwork. The box itself is smaller in size, and Apple says the reduced size means it can ship 70% more devices on one pellet.

Apple says that the move is to scale back the company’s carbon footprint which it aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. Before we start on what an error it’s on Apple’s account to exclude chargers, let’s check out some facts. Consistent with EU Parliament report from 2014, smartphone chargers are liable for 51,000 tonnes of e-waste annually. While that number could be different now, it gives us a thought of where we are heading

Another report suggests that 3,50,000 phones are discarded globally a day , which adds up to 152 million phones during a year. Do all those phones accompany chargers? Probably Yes. Then are all those chargers waste now? Yes again. If I shop around my house, I can find working chargers of phones as old as my first Nokia 6600. It’s common for people to discard the devices while the chargers are lying around.

Apple’s own estimates count 2 billion iPhone chargers on the earth, but there are several catches thereto statement. There could also be 2 billion iPhone chargers out there, but we’ve no idea what percentage of these support fast charging, a feature that’s complimentary to having a replacement iPhone. Apple also says nothing about the amount of power adapters with a USB-C port. Therefore the 2 billion chargers include older, slower ones too.

iPhone 12 Charger Removal: Great Bad Timing!

Apple’s own website says that the box features a Type-C to Lightning cable, but you ought to use the older one.

It’s clear that we do have multiple chargers, or let me say it better, multiple useless chargers among us. Apple’s move of removing a charger from the box is sweet but ill-timed. The cable that comes with the iPhone 12 may be a Type-C to lightning cable, but only iPhone 11 Pro users would have an Apple Type-C adapter

There’s also no word on the wastage Apple goes to make by separately packaging the chargers. Unless Apple goes to ship chargers without packaging, there’s no chance they will save the additional materials that’ll enter the manufacturing, packaging, and shipping of all the new chargers.

Well, you’ll use the other Type-C adapters, but the bulk of wall adapters that shipped with Android, also as iOS devices, are USB Type-A. Encapsulating the entire deal, most of the users will need to buy a replacement charger for the iPhone 12. Period. Apple stepped up the sport again here, giving the MagSafe alternative.

What could be bad timing for users may be a marketing opportunity for Apple. the corporate knows that you’ll need a Type-C power adapter and it knows you’ll need the 20-watt one. It also knows that you’d choose a third-party adapter. So what Apple did is make that exact product and MagSafe to accompany it.

Apple Trends and therefore the MagSafe

There’s one thing that we will undeniably say about Apple. It sets trends. Apple was the primary to travel with the thought of removing the headphone jack, adding a notch to the display, and now removing the charger. In terms of software too, Apple came up with face recognition.

When you mention these features that are now a trend within the industry, charger removal looks like a move that companies may follow within the near future. In fact, there are reports already that Samsung may ditch the charger in their next S-series flagship.

Coming to MagSafe, it’s the newest trend that Apple has come up with. While the corporate introduced a MagSafe charger, cases, and a wallet that sticks to the rear of the iPhone 12, third-party manufacturers may do much more than that. It’s the newest Apple gig, but there are certain belongings you got to take care about.

First, you’ll need to need to buy a MagSafe leather wallet if you would like to hold credit cards within the same pocket as your iPhone. It’s so because your cards are shielded from the iPhone’s magnets when it’s within the wallet. Secondly, if we mention environmental viability, wireless chargers waste tons of energy. A recent report stated that wireless charging consumes the maximum amount as 47% more energy.

It’s amply clear that Apple can get you to shop for MagSafe as long as traditional chargers are out of the equation. therefore the company has done exactly that but given some option to the users by including a charging cable within the box. So you’ll either for the normal power adapter or choose MagSafe.

Right And Wrong

Before you think that it’s unethical, it’s absolutely okay to try to to what Apple has done, but the corporate is treading on thin ice. Removal of a charger is sensible for a much bigger picture, good. However, Apple is showing signs of introducing a completely wireless iPhone lineup.

The company first introduced AirPods with a wireless case then got obviate the Apple Watch charging port. Finally, the removal of the wall adapter from the iPhone 12 packaging sends out a transparent message from Apple. Wireless charging remains faraway from perfect, and it’d be a while before Apple switches to a completely cable-free ecosystem, but the corporate is banking on a wireless future.

Originally published at https://www.xclusivebyte.com.

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Xclusive Byte

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