By 
Whenever you buy a new smartphone, you can expect it to come bundled with basic accessories. This includes a set of cheap earphones, a SIM card ejector tool, a charging cable, and a USB power adapter. But it seems that Apple is looking to set a new trend where they will ditch accessories like the power adapter.
It has been rumored that this could happen with the iPhone 12, and it has already happened with the Apple Watch Series 6. With Apple leading the charge, we imagine that it is only a matter of time before Android handset makers follow suit. It sounds like a bad idea, especially given how much our phones cost, but does it really matter? Probably not, and hear me out.
Let’s use what we’ve got
Most people buying iPhones these days already own an iPhone or have a few other Apple products, so there’s a very high probability that they already own a compatible charging adapter that will work with their new iPhone.
The same goes for Android users. The majority of our gadgets these days tend to come with USB power adapters. This means there is a good chance that we’re sitting on several unused power adapters that could very well be repurposed to charge our smartphones. The use of USB also means that even if you don’t have a power adapter, you’re more than welcome to use a computer’s USB port to charge your devices.
Better for the environment
Ditching these power adapters will also have environmental benefits where the less of these accessories are produced, the fewer resources we will need to consume. There already is a bit of an uproar over true wireless earbuds, where due to their size, they’re not exactly easy to repair and it would be easier to ditch them rather than get a new battery. Most of the time, they’ll end up sitting in a landfill somewhere.
Given the millions upon millions of smartphones shipped per year, that’s a lot of plastic and other resources that could be better used elsewhere.
It isn’t so cut and dry
There are obvious benefits to not including these accessories, both to the environment and to companies who will reduce their costs and potentially increase profit margins. That being said, newer devices tend to feature faster charging and as such, require power adapters to match.
This means that it would be kind of insane for a company to not include an accessory that would allow users to take advantage of a feature of a device they paid good money for, and then charge them extra to unlock that perk.
Perhaps what companies need to do is to start reducing the price of official accessories. This would not only solve the problem of customers running into issues when trying to use cheaper unauthorized accessories, but it would also make the sting of not including a power adapter less painful.
But that’s just my take. Would you be truly upset if your next smartphone wouldn’t come with a power adapter included? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment. And if you happen to be on the market for a new high-powered charger for your smartphone, here are a few of the best sellers on Amazon.
Comments