There have been multiple reports claiming that Apple might stop offering a charger and Earpods with future iPhones. The company even released a survey that asked existing iPhone users if they used the charger that came bundled with their devices. Now, it is being reported that Samsung could also stop offering a charger in the box with future Galaxy smartphones.

According to a new report from South Korean news publication ETNews, Samsung is planning to stop offering a charger with some of its Galaxy smartphones starting next year. Apparently, the company thinks that most people now have chargers and not bundling one with a phone might not affect users. The company plans to reduce smartphone production costs with this step.

Currently, iPhones ship with either 5W or 18W chargers in the box, depending on the model. However, it was recently reported that the iPhone 12 lineup might not come with a charger in the box. An alleged leaked schematic of the iPhone 12’s box insert showed that there’s no space in it for a charging adapter. iPhone 12 buyers might need to use their existing chargers or buy ones from Apple or third-party brands separately.

A leaked image also showed that Apple is working on a new 20W USB Type-C charger, and the company might sell it separately. Now that Apple is officially supporting the USB Type-C standard for chargers, it might be easier for users to buy Type-C chargers.

Eliminating the charger and Earpods from the packaging will likely help Apple in absorbing some of the high cost that’s associated with including 5G connectivity in smartphones. Samsung might follow Apple’s lead by not including chargers with some of its smartphones in the same fashion how it eliminated the 3.5mm headphone jack from its high-end phones.

It has been widely reported that Apple will launch four new iPhones—iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Max, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max—this year, and all of them will have 5G connectivity for faster download and upload speeds.

Our Take

Not bundling a charger with the iPhone is probably a good thing for consumers because it might allow Apple to release the iPhone 12 at a relatively lower price. Most people might already have a charger handy. Even if they don’t they might be able to snag cheap USB Type-C chargers for as low as $10 from Amazon or $5 from AliExpress, and they can have a charger suited to their needs.

What do you think of this step from Apple and Samsung? Would you prefer paying a lower price for your next smartphone or would you value a bundled charger with the device even if it comes at a higher overall cost? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.