Mike Peterson
Apple may not include EarPods or a charging brick with "iPhone 12" models in 2020 as a way of offsetting increased production costs due to new 5G components.
Rumors of the change in accessories have been swirling for months now. Back in May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecast that the "iPhone 12" wouldn't come with headphones, and similar predictions have been made for the charging adapter.
Now, Taiwan-based research firm TrendForce is reporting that Apple has "decided" to ship its "iPhone 12" models in 2020 without either of those accessories.
According to TrendForce, the move is an effort to "cut costs and stabilize retail pricing." Because of the addition of 5G support — including mmWave in some models — the bill of materials for the "iPhone 12" is likely to be significantly higher than past models.
The research firm notes that the lack of accessories is expected to "help with sales performance." Kuo has previously claimed that the lack of EarPods could drive sales of Apple AirPods.
In July, AppleInsider was provided a render of an alleged box insert for the "iPhone 12 model" that depicted a lack of space for a charging brick or EarPods. The packaging could also suggest generally slimmer — and more environmentally conscious — iPhone boxes.
Apple has also been surveying some users about what they did with the AC charging adapters bundled with previous iPhones. Without a USB adapter in the box, Apple likely expects users to rely on the chargers they already have.
There have been some conflicting rumors, however. In June, a leak claimed that the "iPhone 12" would ship with a new 20W USB-C charging adapter. That adapter has also received certification in some countries.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Sponsored Content
43 Comments
They will either exclude accessories and keep price same or include them and raise price - I find it hard to believe they would both exclude items and raise the price ... the media would have a field day with that scenario.
Let's make a safe prediction:
The media and iKnockoff morons will mock Apple to hell and back.
...
Then everyone else will copy.
This kind of makes sense. Most of us have too many headphones and power adapters laying around. For those that don't this is a good way for 3rd party sellers to gain a leg up. They can offer an iPhone with these bundled for free as a way to discount the iPhone. This is pretty much how it works with Macs and RAM. Apple's memory is higher priced which lets others offer deals by selling a Mac with extra RAM for free or at low price.
The new 20 Watt adapter will likely be sold as an accessory, and perhaps be included with new USB-C iPads.