You've probably heard that Apple ditched its iPhone 12 family charger earlier this year, and a variety of leaks and rumors suggest that one of the biggest Android phone makers will follow suit when the Samsung Galaxy S21 arrives. next year. A new listing this week from Brazil's Anatel (a telecommunications agency in the country) suggested that Samsung would not include a charging plug in the box. It also ensures that there will be no free headphones either, although it is not clear if a charging cable will be included. While it's not a certainty, it's the strongest evidence yet that Samsung's next flagship phone will follow Apple's lead and ditch its built-in charging technology. If that happens, Samsung has the advantage that one of its main competitors has already gone through this process, and it can learn from what Apple has done to try to address this emotional issue. Some have chafed at the extra cost added to the iPhone 12 series to make sure you have a compatible charger, but it's clear that built-in chargers are a major contributor to e-waste around the world. Apple's vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson, said at the launch of the iPhone 12: "There are more than 2000 billion Apple power adapters in the world, not to mention the billions of third-party adapters. . "We take these elements out of the iPhone box, which reduces carbon emissions and prevents the extraction and use of valuable materials." It's also Apple technology, so imagine the amount of e-waste produced by other manufacturers that also include chargers in the box. That said, there are ways Samsung can use what Apple has done to its advantage and hopefully provide a better experience for customers overall.
1. It must be explained
![Evento de iPhone 12]()
A screenshot of Apple's iPhone 12 launch (Image credit: Apple) Explaining why it's forgoing box-loading technology to the average person who just wants a working smartphone is undeniably difficult for any company. But it's a message that needs to be clearly communicated to customers to make sure they understand why using their new device is an added hassle. If you saw the launch of the iPhone 12, you would have heard Jackson directly during the event and probably understood why this is a positive step for the consumer electronics industry. If he hasn't, it's unlikely he fully understood why Apple has abandoned the technology. If you don't know about these environmental reasons, you're probably just bored. If he's not interested enough in the technology to read the kind of article he's reading right now, he may not even fully understand Apple's reasoning for getting rid of the technology, which is the stated reason. , or the financial reason. . Deutsche Bank analysts (via CNBC) said shortly after the iPhone 12 launch: "Although it claims they're not shipping headphones and charging hubs with the iPhone to save the environment, the reality is that such a move could also generate an economic benefit to the company.” Samsung can include a disclaimer on the box that shows why e-waste is such a significant environmental problem. There is no mention on the iPhone 12 series packaging of why it dropped out of the box technology, and if you want to know why, you should investigate this information for yourself.
2. Make it easy for people to use existing chargers
![Revisión del iPhone 12 Pro Max]()
The iPhone 12 Pro Max charging port (Image credit: TechRadar) This is arguably Apple's biggest flaw in the iPhone 12 charger debacle, and it should be a problem Samsung can easily avoid. If you bought a new iPhone 12 Pro Max and were upgrading from your iPhone XS Max, a phone that's only two years old, you won't be able to use your existing charging pad with the new included cable. box. The iPhone XS series comes with a charging pad that has a USB connector, while the new cable is USB-C to Lightning. This means that the cable in the box would not be necessary for you and you would have to buy a new wall adapter to get the maximum charging speeds from your new smartphone. Samsung should be able to avoid this problem because it's been using similar charging technology for a few years now, and most Android manufacturers now use USB-C technology by default. This may be a hurdle if the company decides to switch its charging tech to the S21, but it's not something we've heard of happening on the next-gen phone.
![Samsung Galaxy Note 20]()
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (Image credit: TechRadar) A fair point is, why should you pay more for a new charger? The cost of a charging pad is included in the recommended retail price of all smartphones, and it seems Apple is taking advantage when it charges you $19 / £19 or AU$29 for its 20W power adapter. Samsung could learn from this and offer customers a free charger, but it doesn't have to be included in the box by default. It would take a little extra planning, but why not include a coupon at checkout that can be redeemed for a free charger at a participating retailer? Samsung could then explain that it didn't include one by default to reduce e-waste, but if you need it separately, you can claim one for free at a store near you. That way you wouldn't be charged extra for one and that would avoid the main problem of a charger included in the box by default. This is unlikely to happen, but it would be an olive branch for those upgrading their phones and feeling overburdened.