iPhone 12 Models Ship in Thinner Box Without EarPods or Charger

[jashworth03]

They’re telling you they’re removing accessories from the box to help the environment, but they’re actually doing it to save money and charge you more for less stuff, resulting in higher profit margins.

That’s literally the definition of a lie — saying something that isn’t true, in order to mask the truth.

how do you quantify less stuff?

The new coating from Corning that didn't exist on prior models - has a cost
The memory upgrades on the Pro models - has a cost
The new camera in all the lineup - has a cost
The R&D to make all the 12 features in the mini size - has a cost

I don't understand why people think this is so outrageous. If Apple offered a version of this phone for $30 more but included a charging block and a version for $30 less with no block - which would you buy?

 

[211]

You do not have to buy a charger, unless this is your first iPhone. Otherwise your existing charger and cable will work fine.

Yeah, I just realised that so I edited my post. I thought it was the same problem as iPad Pro, which isn't lightning anymore. My bad.

 

[Act3]

Would have liked to see them do away with the lightning connection and make it consistent with iPad Air and iPad Pro. But at least the lightning to usb c cable will allow folks to charge their phones using the iPad Pro charging brick. Still need two cables though.

 

[C DM]

can you? I was wonder the same thing

You should be able to. Might not get as quick of a charge necessarily (depending on the power adapter you end up using) but that should work. The key there is basically you'd use what you already have with the phone purchase basically not giving you anything aside from the phone itself (for the type of price that used to give you various accessories for over a decade).

 

[lkalliance]

They’re telling you they’re removing accessories from the box to help the environment, but they’re actually doing it to save money and charge you more for less stuff, resulting in higher profit margins.

That’s literally the definition of a lie — saying something that isn’t true, in order to mask the truth.

I do not think there is anything close to sufficient "proof" to call it a lie. I'm not an environmental engineer, I don't really know if the measures Apple has been taking are truly good for the environment...but then again they've been making progress on that for years, and I don't remember seeing any environmental agencies saying that none of it is true, so at least I don't smell enough smoke for there to be a fire on that count. That is something I get in return, btw. If it's really as simple as "the adapter cost this and they shouldn't charge you for it," then it's still a $700 (or $1000 or $1100 or whatever) phone, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. In return we get to all passively do some good for the environment, that's a thing that Apple is doing for all of us. And in the end it doesn't really change the mathematics of whether I want the phone.

 

[C DM]

how do you quantify less stuff?

The new coating from Corning that didn't exist on prior models - has a cost
The memory upgrades on the Pro models - has a cost
The new camera in all the lineup - has a cost
The R&D to make all the 12 features in the mini size - has a cost

I don't understand why people think this is so outrageous. If Apple offered a version of this phone for $30 more but included a charging block and a version for $30 less with no block - which would you buy?

Pretty much every year there are improvements and changes that have a cost, but the accessories were still being included with similar pricing nonetheless.

 

[eatrains]

can you? I was wonder the same thing

Sure. The phones use regular Lightning.

 

[spazzcat]

Exactly my point because of money. This isn't because of the environment.

Yes and no, do you think their competitors are going to take a year off?

 

[killr_b]

USB-C is no longer new. There was no transition period and Apple did that because of the perpetual whining I read on these forums about USB-C being too new and needing a transition period which would never end because people are too f***ing cheap to buy $20 worth of the proper cables. Please sing that song to someone who will actually believe it.

People are too cheap lmfao, not Apple, they're not the cheap ones...

 

[forerunnerg34]

Next step: Release a new phone every 5 years, not every 12 months.

 

[Am3r1ca16]

Yes and no, do you think their competitors are going to take a year off?

I thought Apple was really about saving the environment? Or do you also acknowledge this was a PR stunt just so they can increase their profit margin.

Or do you really believe it was for the environment ?

 

[antonrg]

Just checked Apple Germany, Italy and Spain. France appears to be the only country with included earpods.

Yep, it's the French law, not EU. EarPods are included for this reason.

It reads: "Les terminaux radioélectriques destinés à être connectés à un réseau ouvert au public pour la fourniture du service de téléphonie ne peuvent être commercialisés sans un accessoire permettant de limiter l'exposition de la tête aux émissions radioélectriques lors des communications."

"Radio terminals intended to be connected to a network open to the public for the provision of the telephone service cannot be marketed without an accessory making it possible to limit the exposure of the head to radioelectric emissions during communications."

• Section 5 : Equipements radioélectriques et terminaux. (Articles L34-9 à L34-9-1)

 

[lkalliance]

Yeah, I just realised that so I edited my post. I thought it was the same problem as iPad Pro, which isn't lightning anymore. My bad.

I have to admit I was confused a bit, too; I was only kind of half-watching and there was reference to USB-C and I thought, "Wait, what? That's a pretty big change."

 

[compwiz1202]

Surely I’m not the only person that doesn’t have a single USB-C charger...

Yes the 11 was the first, and not everyone upgrades every year. Not all laptops have USB-C. At least with A I could see there being well over 90+% chance that you have some sort of A port.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Or you can just use a regular USB Lightning cable?

Be careful acting all logical and stuff toward the perpetual outrage machine that passes for forum users here. You’re making way too much sense.

 

[lkalliance]

Just had a suggestion from my partner, "couldn't they make it available on request and still not ship it?" I suppose they could do that: have each iPhone purchase come with a digital voucher good to purchase a new adapter for $5 or whatever. Not free (that might really mitigate the environmental effort), but at a reduced price.

 

[trunten]

So in summary “everyone already has tonnes of phone chargers so today we’re totally changing the one you need and not providing it with any new iPhone. Money is green too!”

 

[SubduedTiger]

Sigh. I always buy used anyways, but still disappointing. This has nothing to do with the environment, but keep saying it and I'm sure the apologists will eat it up.

I believe it's about giving customers the choice between wired and wireless charging solutions and keeping costs lower. And the thinner box makes for so much operational/shipping efficiency. I'm with you in spirit that, at large, environmentalism is largely a corporate farce and an afterthought. But don't you agree that, whatever the reasoning, any dent, however small, and no matter how genuine, is still worthwhile to our people in the aggregate?

Consider that:

• Apple understands its demand very well, but they also have to take the risk of underpricing and overpricing based on what they believe the market will bear. In economics, the lower a price, the higher the quantity demanded. If cutting out that charger is the difference between them being able to price at $799 vs. $899, for example, then that cost is actually appreciated on both sides of the market. (Apple can sell more iPhones at a lower price due to lower costs to supply, and consumers pay a lower price for the product. This results in a higher total revenue.)
• A company might be better off commended for, not criticized for, finding win-win business scenarios where it can impact its secondary goals (like environmentalism).
• No matter how authentic Apple is being surrounding environmentalism, I don't think anyone could argue that they haven't taken at least one profit hit in the name of pure consideration of planetary resources.

I wouldn't apologize for Apple's decisions or lack of them, but I'm not so quick to presume their intentions either. I believe that there is at least one person who wakes up in the morning and goes to work for Apple purely to improve its operations with respect to the environment. And I believe they hired that voice because they wished to listen to it not just so they could say it was there.

Looking at Apple's stock chart, I don't think they've ever mistaken themselves as not a business, but I believe the company is in it from many of different sides. I don't think it lacks nobility for them to pitch their environmental benefits in light of what they haven't yet done. They just want to be appreciated for what they have done.

 

[deeddawg]

Surely I’m not the only person that doesn’t have a single USB-C charger...

Surely you're not also the only person that doesn't have a Lighting to USBA cable you can use ...

 

[Zdigital2015]

People are too cheap lmfao, not Apple, they're not the cheap ones...

Apple has put in a USB-A to Lightning cable and 5w adapter in every iPhone since 2015 (the first year USB-C appeared) and if people have one of those, they can still use it. Most of mine never made it out of the plastic wrap or even the iPhone box. I still had EarPods from my 6s Plus that were still in plastic.

Now that Apple finally changes, everyone has a cow. If you have no USB-C charger, you have a plethora of high quality choices not from Apple that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Apple sells computers with USB-C ports and iPads with USB-C ports that can charge the iPhone, so USB-A makes zero sense in 2020. People have had 5 years to adapt and it’s on them if they haven’t.

 

[Mindgap]

Be careful acting all logical and stuff toward the perpetual outrage machine that passes for forum users here. You’re making way too much sense.

Yes, you can use the old cable with an old charger but Apple says that the new USBC Cable "is fast charging". And of course I want a faster charging cables which means I also want to buy a new charging brick which makes the whole argument of saving the environment irrelevant.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

I'd like to understand Apple's reasoning here. You don't include basic accessories, and how does that reduce carbon emissions? Also, they still do business with China right? Can someone explain the science of this decision?

 

[quietstormSD]

So instead of including a USB-C adapter in order to "reduce the carbon footprint". They want me to buy a USB-C adapter that is packaged and shipped completely separately, which probably increases the net carbon footprint by not including it with the iPhone. And not reduce the price of the iPhone to account for lack of adapter. That's a bad Apple!

 

[davidelkington]

Seriously, I am quite in favour of the lack of charging in the box, I have had iPhones since 3g, and now have a mountain of old chargers. For the 1% who need them, just buy one, the prices look great to me compared to the iPhone X I bought, I don't care if it comes with a power brick I won't use. They can spin it, that is what Apple do, but also they move forward. USB-C will come, but they don't want to obsolete a custom plug that they get money from, all of that keeps the prices down or the shares up... We are not a communist state, nobody does something for nothing...

 

[Zdigital2015]

In a vacuum, Apple’s decision would be problematic.

But we don’t live in a vacuum, we live in a world where the iPhone is in it’s 15th iteration and is not a new product, by any means. In the real world, this decision is not at all an odd one and really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. If you don’t have ANYTHING with USB-C, it might be that you’re the weird one. Or you haven’t upgraded in a very long time.