No charger in next iPhones. Also, Anker chargers on Apple Store (digital, at least)

#1

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As you probably read this week, Apple’s next iPhone - 11S, 12, who knows? - will probably come without a charging brick and earphones. I can almost hear Apple haters and Android fans going crazy with that news. But, it was actually bound to happen - and, as history tells us, other manufactures will most likely follow, eventually.

I’m an Apple user since 2012, having owned an iPhone 5, 6 and my current 8. Maybe because of that, I completely understand the reasoning behind it. They will claim most chargers and earphones end up never being used, or just stuffing some drawer (they will also claim it will allow for reduced production costs to bring even more tech into the iPhone for the same price as the one before, though that’s debatable). I still have the original earphone and charger from my iPhone 5 - I use the earphone on my computer and, at times, my iPad as well. When I sold my iPhone 6, I did it in its original box, with everything that came inside, the charger, earphones and the cable never used. Those three items, along with the earphone adapter that came with my iPhone 8, are still in its box, too. When I moved to using Bluetooth earphones I never went back, and don’t intend to. I also have enough chargers and cables at home to supply me for year to come. All those are from Anker, which are generally better than Apple’s own, at least durability-wise. Also, wireless charging. No need to plug and unplug stuff anymore, the charger, cable and stand remain in place, and thus last longer.

And that brings me to the second topic. I just noticed that there are Anker products being sold by Apple in its online store. I don’t know how the link will hold since I got there by searching, but you can try to check it out here, or simple search for Anker on the Apple website yourself. In the Canadian store, there are four Anker products, all chargers, all very overpriced compared to the Amazon.ca offering. Still, they are there. Since the Apple Store nearest to me is still closed due to the Covid-19, I can’t check out if there are Anker products there as well.

Apple’s website has had chargers from other companies for a while, along with cables, stands and other accessories. Including Anker’s products - I’m sure cables and stands will be there eventually - is probably just another confirmation that Apple will indeed no longer include chargers with their phones. Cables, chargers and basic earphones are afterthoughts, just little niceties to have in the box, In the case of chargers specifically, since wireless charging became a thing, you can buy a new phone and just put it over the wireless charger you already have, no need to bring new plastic into your home. Other manufacturers, like Anker, do it better anyway, and often times have cheaper products of higher quality, so why not just bring those into your home, if you need it?

And that’s why other phone manufacturers will eventually do the same. Most of the other stuff coming in the box end up as trash anyway. I know none of those arguments will reduce the noise of the hate-wagon when the time comes for Apple to confirm what everyone already knows, but I wanted to leave my thoughts registered here.

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#2

I don’t mind not having those things personally since I’m on my second iPhone. I do use the original headphones on my laptop when I go to university and use bluetooth earbuds when travelling to and from campus. But for chargers, I’m using the second cable at home since my first one broke and use Anker cable when I go out of home since I can just toss them in and not worry about it.
However, what will bug people more, including me, is that they need to discount their phones. They’ll end up saving more with the deletion of the items but they need to pass that profits down to us, the consumers. MKBHD made a good video about it that he uploaded yesterday or the day before I think.

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#3

It seems Samsung is already taking steps towards not including chargers in their phones: https://mashable.com/article/samsung-no-chargers-smartphones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+(Mashable)

#4

Good ol’ Samsung copying Apple :rage:

#5

I wouldn’t necessarily say copying. It’s more like a trend that Apple just happened to catch on first.

#6

Wish they would’ve kept the headphone jack

#7

I am not surprised nor do I care lol. What I mean is, as you and many other I have not used the stuff that comes in the box with a new iPhone (just got the XR a few months ago, before COVID) except the SIM card removal tool, which is basically a fancy paperclip already bent in the right shape lol. I had the choice of getting the 11 but those cameras on the back are ugly, and the last thing I use my phone for is pictures. Not have the Aux jack is annoying sometimes, but lately, I find the more that other companies upgrade their tech, the less it is needed, but at least they gave us a way to still use it… I would rather Apple send a high-quality screen protector and simple, clear, case than the brick and headphones.

#8

Don’t agree and because of how businesses work.

Anker makes most of its money from chargers. The cost of a typical Powerport is around $7 but they have to fund their business from the profit so sell at $25 typically.

Apple makes most of its money from the phone. The cost of the bundled Apple charger is around $2.

For Apple to make the same level of profits for a given number of iPhone sales, they would only reduce the price by $2 if they didn’t include the charger.

If you’re expecting not including a $2 charger to cause more than $2 price reduction, you’re then asking Apple to make the profit therefore in some other area, charge more for something else instead.

If you want iPhones cheaper, don’t buy them.

I think it is a good thing to not bundle a commodity like a mediocre charger as mostly they are not used and better ones used instead. This is significantly Apple’s own fault for having phones which can charge faster than the bundled charger.

The EU is very keen to stop proprietary chargers (Lightning causes more landfill) and stop bundling stock chargers.

Companies which innovate like Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, do diverge from standards and have proprietary charging tech, so must include the corresponding charger, but I’d prefer if they worked with the standards and make them better faster, and then consider not bundling chargers. Apple who are not innovating don’t need to bundle already.

#9

I hope other companies don’t follow them