Apple confirms new iPhone 12 WON’T have a charger or headphones in the box ‘to help the environment’
APPLE has confirmed that the next iPhone will be the first to drop the charging plug and headphones from the box.
The company's white wall plug and wired Earpods have been bundled with every iPhone since 2007, but they'll be sold separately for the release of the iPhone 12.
Follow our iPhone 12 launch event blog for the latest news and updates...
Jackson said the removal of these items allows for a slimmer and lighter iPhone box, meaning Apple can fit up to 70 per cent more products on a shipping pallet.
This will also help reduce carbon emissions, she added.
The move is part of Apple's commitment to having net zero carbon impact by 2030.
That means reducing a lot of its waste and changing what materials it uses.
Apple heavily implied it was moving towards removing chargers and other electrical items from its boxes last month amid the unveiling of two new smartwatches during an online event.
Apple revealed it was removing the USB adapter (that's the bit that plugs into your mains socket) it would usually include in the box with the timepieces.
Citing environmental reasons, the firm said the decision was part of its commitment to reducing packaging and waste.
"Sometimes, it's not what we make, but what we don't make that counts," Apple's Lisa Jackson said in a recording from Apple Park.
"We know that customers have been accumulating USB power adapters, and that producing millions of unneeded adapters consumes resources and adds to our carbon footprint.
"So this year, we are removing the USB power adapter from Apple Watch."
The move makes the Apple Watch SE and Series 6 the first Apple Watches to come without a plug in the box.
Many iPhone users already have a handful of chargers and headphones lying around, so most won't miss the in-box gadgets.
It's hoped the move will slim down the packaging for the iPhone 12 to dampen the gadget's environmental impact.
However, some have argued that forcing users to buy accessories separately – requiring separate packaging – negates any reduction of waste.
Apple unveiled four new iPhone models during its October 13 event. They include the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone Mini.
Starting at £699 / $699 raising to as much as £1,099 / $1,099, the mobile are out later this year.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
In other news, Apple recently unveiled the latest version of the Apple Watch – its cheapest smartwatch in years.
There's a new iPhone homscreen in iOS 14, and fans are divided over it.
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Find out about all the new iOS 14 features here.
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