“The iPhone 12 do not have a charger.” Despite other novelties that Apple integrated into this generation of its smartphones, that phrase was probably the one that ended up becoming more viral in 2020. And the decision of the Californian company to eliminate the charging adapter from its iPhone was controversial at the very least. . If you do not know this matter or want to know everything that has happened to this decision, keep reading because we will tell you everything.
With this article we do not intend to instill any type of personal opinion or the writer of this article or the writing of ITIGIC. We simply want it to serve to know the full story of why this controversial Apple decision, counting the ins and outs of it and counting both public opinion and the arguments of the company itself. In the end, we respect and celebrate that everyone can have their own vision and opinion on this fact, either to support it or to be against it.
What can be found in the box
You should know that the content they bring is common to all iPhones . The decision to eliminate the adapter came with the ’12’, yes, but the company implemented this measure retroactively and even models of previous generations for sale stopped incorporating this element.
In the same way and for the same reasons that we will analyze later, they do not include headphones either . The EarPods (not to be confused with AirPods) were also included in the box and also stopped being introduced in 2020. Therefore, in the end the only thing that remains in the box of Apple smartphones are the following elements:
- iPhone
- 0.5 meter Lightning to USB-C charging cable.
- Basic instructions with link to the web to read the complete guide.
- Key to remove the SIM tray from the iPhone.
- A sticker with the characteristic Apple logo in white.
It should be noted that since 2021 no plastics have been included in the box packaging, having only an “easy open” style tape on the back that, once removed, allows the box to be opened without problem.
Apple’s reasons for not including iPhone charger
During the months prior to the presentation of the aforementioned iPhone 12, the removal of the charger from the box of these devices was already an open secret. What at first seemed like a simple rumor spread like wildfire, being confirmed by numerous leakers and reaching a keynote held on October 13, 2020 in which Apple not only confirmed this data, but also gave explanations about why they decided to do it. .
Arguments given by the company
Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environmental Policy and Social Initiatives served as Apple’s spokesperson in this regard. In a somewhat particular scenery, being located on the roof of Apple Park, Jackson began by presenting the company’s idea regarding environmental policies as part of its corporate social responsibility.
He conveyed that the roadmap they have established intends, among other things, to be carbon neutral with their corporate operations for the year 2030. He stated that both his offices, as well as stores and other establishments already had 100% renewable energy, But in order to evolve in this way, they also needed to make changes in their supply chain and logistics at a global level .
They also showed a series of slides like the one shown above in which it is shown that the iPhone already had a good part of recycled materials , to which would be added new measures that implicated iPhone manufacturers, for example imposing them to use 100 energies % renewable.
Regarding the elimination of the charging adapter or headphones, Jackson highlighted ** reduced waste ** as the main motivation. To justify this, he shielded himself from the expansion of wireless accessories such as AirPods as substitutes for wired headphones or charging bases for the battery by more and more users, as well as the fact that companies like yours have been integrating charging accessories for years. . Therefore, it is assumed that practically everyone has an adapter or pair of headphones at home that can be useful.
In specific data that were given in this exhibition, it was stated that there are 2 billion charging adapters around the world and only counting the company’s own, to which equally exorbitant amounts from other brands should be added.
Benefits of this measure
Following the thread of the explanation of Lisa Jackson in that Apple event, the company gave other interesting data regarding the impact of this elimination of accessories. Benefits enjoyed by both the company itself and the environment.
In addition to the already mentioned reduction of carbon emissions and avoiding the extraction and use of precious materials , the company also confirmed at that time that the packaging of the iPhone would now be smaller than before. And this also means that, according to data from Apple itself, 70% more boxes can be transported per pallet, making it possible not only to store more products in less space, but also reducing time, expenses and contamination. of the logistics process during transportation.
Impact of the news
After the confirmation by Apple of this measure that is still maintained today, with the anticipation of not going back, there were comments of all kinds and the impact of this news, for better and for worse, was very high.
Controversy and a lot of humor in social networks
As we already anticipated and you could have imagined, the measure generated all kinds of discussions and debates. There were many people who were in favor and were even indifferent, however more (or at least louder) were those who were upset.
We do not have an opinion study that more accurately confirms the opinion of users about the fact that iPhones do not have a charger, but based on what we have been able to experience as part of a communication medium focused on Apple, we can attest that there has been a lot of unrest about it.
However, we must say that even from this anger at least positive things have come out, such as humor. And it is that laughing is in the end the best thing we can do in practically any situation in life. Social networks like Twitter were filled with memes or jokes about this measure, with jokes of the type “The next iPhone will come without an iPhone and you will have to buy it separately.”
Controversy over the type of cable
What did seem to infuriate many, especially previous generation iPhone buyers , is that the cable that Apple incorporated into its devices had a USB-C end and not the classic USB-A. This standard is in the end the one that allows a more efficient and even fast charging, being increasingly universal and therefore a step by Apple that does not seem wrong either.
However, there are those who believe that Apple did not take into account that whoever had bought an iPhone XS or earlier, what they had at home was a USB-A power adapter, so in the end they could not use the cable that came with The iPhone 12 and that ultimately continued to arrive with subsequent versions. It is true that whoever had an iPhone 11 Pro already had an adapter with this USB-C standard, but there were more who made the leap from previous generations.
An intermediate solution would have been to allow the choice of the type of cable, although we suspect that perhaps that would have implied a greater logistical difficulty for the company. And while it is true that it does not seem anything serious in any case, it was a fact that somewhat dismantled the company’s argument that most had compatible adapters at home.
There were also those who even complained that the Lightning was still present as an iPhone port instead of also making the jump to USB-C like the vast majority of Android manufacturers. However, this is a different issue that does not have too much a priori relationship with the elimination of the charging adapter. Moreover, it is very possible that if that transition had been made, it would have also generated controversy on the part of those who store several cables with the now classic Lightning.
Lawsuits and fines received by the company
Beyond simple complaints in conversations with friends, in forums or social networks, this elimination of the iPhone charger has also led Apple to receive the odd lawsuit. Although, yes, we must ignore the United States. Several have been registered in this country and although we do not want to downplay them, we must recognize that it is a territory characterized by being a country with a high level of demands from companies and not always with justified purposes.
Where if we believe that a lawsuit has been relevant is in Brazil . And it is that in the Rio de Janeiro country a judicial resolution was made public in March 2021 in which this strategy was branded as “abusive” when it was understood that Apple was exercising a malpractice for marketing a smartphone “without an essential and necessary accessory for its operation. “as is the charging adapter. This resulted in a $2 million fine for the company and the obligation to include the charger with the purchase of an iPhone.
In other territories such as Chile, there were also several individual and collective complaints, considering that they violated local laws. These establish that electronic devices such as these must include essential accessories for their operation. After studying the case, the country’s Superintendency of Electricity and Fuel decided that Apple would not be obliged to include the power adapter , as the charging cable was considered sufficient.
More particular is the case of France , a country in which there has also been some complaint in this regard, but which has ultimately not prospered. What does happen in France is that Apple is required by law to include the other accessory removed: the EarPods. That is why any iPhone bought in this place will not bring an adapter, but the classic wired headphones. Of course, the original packaging is kept and these are delivered in individual packaging.
Other companies have followed the strategy
For better or for worse, there have been many occasions when Apple has set the pace in the tech industry. And once the ban was opened by not incorporating power adapters, there were other companies that joined in doing the same only a few months later.
This is the case of Samsung and Xiaomi , companies that in fact made fun of Apple in some of their profiles on social networks because of this fact, having to eliminate them months later when they saw that their respective companies did the same. Of course, it must be said that according to the controversy they also generated, they did not carry out the same strategy as Apple or at least not exactly.
In these cases , the option of choosing the charger or not is given at no additional cost. In this way, these companies have left the decision on the user’s roof, becoming defenders of promoting environmental measures, but without depriving the user of what they consider a key accessory.
Other key questions on this matter
At this point and once the history of this decision is known, you may have some doubts about it. In the following and last sections we will give you an answer to this.
Have they dropped in price for this reason?
It is logical to think that if an iPhone previously cost X money in exchange for the device itself and all its accessories, now it may cost less because it does not include all of them. And as incredible as it may seem, there is no clear answer to this question.
If we look only at the price, without observing anything else, we observe that they have not really fallen in price and that in some cases it has even risen. However, if other factors are taken into account such as the features they have introduced since then (5G, MagSafe technology, ProMotion, battery improvements, etc.) it could be justified. Something like a “I do not include an adapter or headphones, but I give you these expensive technologies in return.”
Although again we insist that in the end Apple has never ruled in this regard. Calculating the real cost of an iPhone is really complicated and, regardless of whether Apple is one of those with the highest percentage of profit, we cannot know exactly how much it costs to manufacture it. And it must be taken into account that other indirect costs such as R + D + I, transport and storage costs, employee salaries, payments to suppliers and a long and imprecise etcetera must be added to the direct cost of the materials.
What should you do if you want a charger?
If you are going to buy an iPhone and you don’t have a charging adapter at home, you are obviously facing a problem. You can always charge the device connected to a computer that has USB-C, although perhaps it is not the most optimal or the most comfortable. At this point you have the option of buying the charger separately , either in official company stores or third parties.
You can also get a wireless charging base that works using the Qi standard, since all iPhones on sale can be recharged in this way. Be that as it may, and if you accept advice at this point, we always recommend that they be MFi . These are the acronyms of ‘Made for iPhone’ which is a certificate that Apple gives to those accessories that meet its quality standards, being able to obtain them even chargers that are sold by other sellers.
Why didn’t they remove the cable as well?
Once you understand Apple’s exposition and considering that many users would also have their respective charging cables, you may wonder what is the reason that the cable is still included. And in this case it does respond to legal issues, since there are many countries where it is mandatory .
In fact, in those in which Apple operates, all include some type of legal regulation that forces them to integrate the cable at least. Therefore, the reason why they continue to include it is evident and it is that this could affect them in receiving endless lawsuits and fines that in the end force them to back down, while with the elimination of the adapter there are few territories where it has to adapt.
Are there more Apple devices without a charger?
Yes, and not only that, but devices of all kinds from other brands do not include this type of accessories either. See for example the hundreds of Bluetooth headphones on the market, a vast majority of which integrate the charging cable without adding a charging adapter. It also happens with many smartwatches .
And taking up the products of the apple company, precisely those two product niches are the ones that do not include a charging adapter either. AirPods , whatever the range, include only a Lightning to USB-C cable identical to the iPhone without a charger. The same happens with the Apple Watch , although in a more particular way. These were also included, but from the same year that the iPhone (2020) was no longer integrated except for the Hermès versions that continue to carry it.
Other devices such as iPad and MacBook continue to integrate a charging adapter. It is unknown if at some point they will also dispense with this accessory, but taking into account that they are less majority products, it is likely that they will continue to be maintained as before.