According to Korea’s ETNews (h/t SamMobile) Samsung is considering selling its smartphones without in-box chargers from as early as next year. We all know when rumors emerged that Apple would not bundle a charger or EarPods with the iPhone 12, many probably chalked it up to Apple being Apple. Now, it seems that Android manufacturers may be adopting a similar strategy.
Apple is planning to ship smartphones without chargers, and its reasons could be due to multiple factors including margins, shipping, transitions to wireless charging, and the environmental effect. Venture capitalist M.G. Siegler noted that the cost of producing a 5G smartphone could be offset by removing the bundled smartphone charger and selling it separately.
He added that the 2021 lineup of iPhone devices are expected to drop wired charging support in favour of a wireless charging solution, which would remove the need for a bundled wired charger. One of the biggest impacts the change will have is on the environment, as it will greatly reduce the number of chargers being unnecessarily discarded. Apple is also rumoured to be developing a new 20W fast charger which will replace the current 5W and 18W power adapters sold by the company.
Reverting to the Korean manufacturer it hasn’t yet confirmed the news, it’s possible that keeping costs down could be one reason for the decision. Smartphone prices have skyrocketed in the past decade thanks to higher hardware prices. The Galaxy S20 Ultra launched at $1,499 with many other manufacturers pushing and breaking the $1,000 barrier with their current flagships.
Companies like Apple and Samsung could also use the excuse of users having legacy power adapters from previous phone purchases. That might be true for some enthusiasts, but new entrants into the smartphone space may not be in the same position.
You could also argue that eliminating in-box chargers is just another accessory cash-generator for the company. Samsung has previously come under fire for selling a $50 45W fast charger for the Galaxy S20 Ultra while only including a 25W charger in the box.
Ditching the charger could further normalize the practice of charging excessive fees for essential accessories. It likely won’t lead to noticeably cheaper phone prices either, just more expensive power adapters.
