Despite mocking Apple for no longer including a charger with the iPhone, Samsung and Xiaomi are now expected to do the same and remove the charging adapter from their next smartphones.
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In parallel with the announcement of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, Apple announced that it would no longer include the charging adapter with all new iPhones, citing environmental issues. The move was publicly criticized by rival smartphone makers Samsung and Xiaomi.
The day after the announcement of the iphone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, Xiaomi posted on social media a video promoting the Mi 10T Pro showing the charger box accompanied by the comment “Don’t worry, we haven’t left anything out the box.”
Similarly, Samsung posted an image of a charger with the text “Included with your Galaxy” and the message:
Your #Galaxy provides you with what you are looking for. From the most basic as a charger, to the best camera, battery, performance, memory and even 120Hz screen.
Despite these posts on social media clearly mocking Apple’s decision, it is now believed that Samsung, based on regulatory files, will pull out the Galaxy S21 charger, which will be unveiled on January 14th. It may now be more likely considering that Samsung has completely erased its “most basic as a charger” message from social media, as you’ve seen HTTech.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has also confirmed to Weibo that the company’s next Mi 11 phone will not come with a charger due to environmental issues. Jun said smartphone users already have a lot of chargers, so including another with the Mi 11 would contribute to an unnecessary environmental load:
Xiaomi Mi 11 is officially presented with a new packaging, so light and thin.
Behind the thin, we made an important decision: in response to the call of technology and environmental protection, Xiaomi 11 canceled the included charger.
Today everyone has a lot of inactive chargers, which is a burden for you and the environment. We are aware that this decision may not be understood or even complained about. Is there a better solution between industrial practice and environmental protection?
IPhones are now shipped without wired EarPods or a power adapter in the box, with only a Lightning to USB-C charging cable included. With these accessories removed, all new iPhones are now shipped in a thinner box. Apple highlights the environmental benefits of not grouping these accessories, noting that the move reduces carbon emissions and avoids mining and the use of rare earth elements.
Because a large competitor no longer offers accessories like the power adapter and EarPods, Samsung and Xiaomi may believe that consumers are ready to buy accessories separately. Samsung and Xiaomi have followed similar trends set by Apple in the past. For example, Samsung mocked Apple for removing the headphone jack from the iphone 7 in 2016 before reflecting on the decision and launching the 2018 Galaxy A8 without a headphone jack.