Apple to Stop Including EarPods With Every iPhone Sold in France From Next Week

[MacRumors]

Apple will no longer include EarPods with every iPhone sold in France, starting on January 24, according to a notice posted by a French carrier (via iGeneration). Apple was previously required to include EarPods in the box with the iPhone due to a French law that required every smartphone sold in the country to come with a "handsfree kit," but the law has now been changed in favor of reducing the environmental footprint of digital devices.

Photo shared by MacRumors forum member Recklessss​

Starting with the iPhone 12 in 2020, Apple stopped including EarPods and the power adapter from the iPhone box, claiming it was doing so in part to reduce its environmental footprint. With both accessories removed, the iPhone box was made drastically thinner. Apple also removed both items from older iPhone models it continued to sell.

Despite Apple's announcement, the company was required to continue shipping iPhones with EarPods in France. Apple's lawful obligation to include the EarPods was based on the precautionary principle, because the risks of exposing developing brains to electromagnetic waves are not clearly known, according to French law.

Now, that's all about to change. According to a new bill passed in the French assembly, smartphone manufacturers will no longer be forced to include headphones in the box. Instead, they just need to ensure that compatible headphones are available separately as an optional accessory. According to a notice posted by French carrier Fnac, iPhones will no longer ship with EarPods in the box starting on January 24. A machine translation of the poster reads:

DEAR CUSTOMERS,
We would like to inform you that our manufacturers are no longer required to supply headphones/hands-free kits with their smartphones in France. This new law, adopted in late 2021, aims to reduce the environmental footprint in France.

The Xiaomi brand is concerned, for products purchased from the week of January 17, 2022. The same will be true for the Apple brand as of from the week of January 24, 2022
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Apple's regional website for France continues to show EarPods as an item included in the box with the iPhone alongside a USB-C to Lightning cable, although this will likely be updated soon. While it did remove the EarPods from the box, Apple reduced the headphones' price to $19, down from $29, when the iPhone 12 launched in September 2020.

Apple's decision to remove EarPods and the power adapter from the ‌iPhone‌ box was controversial in other countries, too. For example, Apple was fined $2 million in Brazil for not including the power adapter with iPhones.

Article Link: Apple to Stop Including EarPods With Every iPhone Sold in France From Next Week

 

[44267547]

I suspect this probably isn’t that much of a notable concern to most consumers, because they already have their choice of what they prefer with wireless/wired earbuds as it is. Most consumers likely just throw these wired EarPods in a drawer anyways, so it’s a non-issue here.

 

[jlc1978]

Makes sense. How many people actually used them?

Of course, I'm sure Apple droppped teh price by $19 for the phone...

I suspect this probably isn’t that much of a notable concern to most consumers, because they already have their choice of what they prefer with wireless/wired earbuds as it is. Most consumers likely just throw these wired EarPods in a drawer anyways, so it’s a non-issue here.

Exactly. I have a drawer full of them from over the years.

 

[Freeangel1]

one more thing gone from the box

and the price stays the same.

Another Tim Cook make more money idea. give em less and keep the price the same.

 

[Wanted797]

one more thing gone from the box

and the price stays the same.

Another Tim Cook make more money idea. give em less and keep the price the same.

You know he’s having a fine wine tonight.

 

[Futurix]

I kinda like EarPods, sue me ?
Although I do have some unused, as I tend to be very careful with my headphones and they last me for several iPhones.

 

[ruka.snow]

Rather nonsensical that they were still included in the box to this point. All Apple really needs to do in order to really up their environmental game is shove USB-C on the thing and just put the phone in the box with nothing else(including those stupid stickers). I am sure the stuff on the pointless little booklet could be printed on the inside of the box too.

 

[brio]

When I think the time they spent to render that law at the first place… to undo it now. Useless politics.

 

[rodedwards]

Just another way to make money, under the pretence of saving the environment. So we now have to order a new cable, a new plug and a new pair of ear phones - three different boxes, packaged in another box and delivered by another van on another occasion. How does that save the environment?!

 

[mrochester]

Just another way to make money, under the pretence of saving the environment. So we now have to order a new cable, a new plug and a new pair of ear phones - three different boxes, packaged in another box and delivered by another van on another occasion. How does that save the environment?!

Why wouldn’t you use your existing cable, plug and headphones?

 

[Aluminum213]

Good, Apple was not charging enough for the phones anyway

 

[KOTN91]

Race to the bottom. Should have seen the look on the employee’s face at Apple store when I recently booked a genius appointment for some EarPods that weren’t working. You could tell they thought I was scum, despite me having an iPhone 13 and Apple Watch 7

I’d still be prepared to bet that 90% of consumers if not more would be happy with EarPods, I feel they are good enough quality and I’m really into music. Certainly not worth spending hundreds of pounds more, talk about diminishing returns. As for AirPods, they are considerably more expensive, need to be charged and very easy to lose so that’s 3 huge disadvantages

As for not including them for environmental reasons (green tyranny), that’s nonsense. It’s simply to boost their profits

 

[contacos]

Rather nonsensical that they were still included in the box to this point. All Apple really needs to do in order to really up their environmental game is shove USB-C on the thing and just put the phone in the box with nothing else(including those stupid stickers). I am sure the stuff on the pointless little booklet could be printed on the inside of the box too.

They could price the drop by what they charge for those items separately then, if it was supposedly all done in the name of the environment

 

[melliflu]

I don't see the environmental benefits of cooking brain cells with radio frequency (RF) energy and exposure.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Eventually they’ll just give us a thousand dollar cardboard box and claim that most of their customers already have an iPhone anyway ?

 

[alex2792]

Tim Cook twerking uncontrollably behind his fine mahogany desk at the thought of saving $0.05 per unit.

 

[canadianreader]

Rather nonsensical that they were still included in the box to this point. All Apple really needs to do in order to really up their environmental game is shove USB-C on the thing and just put the phone in the box with nothing else(including those stupid stickers). I am sure the stuff on the pointless little booklet could be printed on the inside of the box too.

I think they should remove the phone from the box since most of us already have a phone. A true step forward in protecting the environment.

 

[StevieD100]

Race to the bottom. Should have seen the look on the employee’s face at Apple store when I recently booked a genius appointment for some EarPods that weren’t working. You could tell they thought I was scum, despite me having an iPhone 13 and Apple Watch 7

I’d still be prepared to bet that 90% of consumers if not more would be happy with EarPods, I feel they are good enough quality and I’m really into music. Certainly not worth spending hundreds of pounds more, talk about diminishing returns. As for AirPods, they are considerably more expensive, need to be charged and very easy to lose so that’s 3 huge disadvantages

As for not including them for environmental reasons (green tyranny), that’s nonsense. It’s simply to boost their profits

You are probably not 'hip enough' for the GenZ people in the shop. Ignore them and get your problem solved.
I've had to do this recently at another store (nothing to do with Apple). My Coffee perc stopped working. They tried to sell me one of those machines advertised by people like George Cluny. They could not grok that I ground my own beans. So... old fashioned. Not everyone wants to use disposable pods for my coffee thank you. When I pointed out that the store where I was also sold coffee grinders their face was a picture. Mea Culpa

 

[BreakYurAnkles]

It would be nice if Apple would include an "OPT-IN" to request a lightning to 3.5mm adapter when every iPhone is purchased. Or provide the earbuds if requested when purchasing a new iPhone.

It doesn't need to be in retail packaging, just the adapter or earbuds themselves in a recyclable zip lock bag.

You don't have to provide them for everyone, just the people who ask for them when they purchase their new iPhone.

Oh and the USB-C charging brick too.

but Apple aint nice, Make'em pay thrice!

 

[psxp]

Makes sense. How many people actually used them?

Of course, I'm sure Apple droppped teh price by $19 for the phone...



Exactly. I have a drawer full of them from over the years.

Not everyone has had previous phones that were iPhones, a lot of us came to iPhone as a new device or switching back from another platform.
I would have happily taken one from your drawer, oh and a power adapter too.

 

[chenks]

Why wouldn’t you use your existing cable, plug and headphones?

well you might not be able to use your existing plug if it doesn't have a USC-C connector on it.

the iphone currently ships with a lightning to USB-C port, and the vast majority of charging plugs out there will have a USB-A connector.

so you either need to by a lightning to USB-A cable, or a power plug with a USB-C connector.

and Apple know this, so they are then able to milk more money out of the new iphone owner.

 

[psxp]

Why wouldn’t you use your existing cable, plug and headphones?

Not all of us had iPhones previously, or a power adapter compatible with the usbc to lightning they supplied with iPhone now

 

[tridley68]

They were useless any way and there are much better options out there poor Frenchies

 

[BreakYurAnkles]

I personally bought some lightning connector wired UrBeats3 to have as back-up if I forget to charge my AirPods or forget to bring them with me all together.

If I could have asked for a complementary lighting AirPods when I purchased my iPhone 13, I would have. Would have saved me $30, another box, and shipping....

 

[mrochester]

well you might not be able to use your existing plug if it doesn't have a USC-C connector on it.

the iphone currently ships with a lightning to USB-C port, and the vast majority of charging plugs out there will have a USB-A connector.

so you either need to by a lightning to USB-A cable, or a power plug with a USB-C connector.

and Apple know this, so they are then able to milk more money out of the new iphone owner.

So… buy one if you don’t have one, then you have one you can use for years to come?