It’s been revealed in earlier leaks that Apple has confirmed that the upcoming iPhone 12 models (iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max) will not be featuring a wired earphones or a power adapter. This change is due to Apple’s increasing focus on sustainability. Apple had this to say:
“As part of our efforts to reach our environmental goals, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini do not include a power adapter or EarPods. Please use your current Apple power adapter and headphones, or purchase these accessories separately.”
Consumers that purchase the new iPhone 12 and/or its associated models will find that the only accessory included will be the USB-C Lightning cable. This decision will reduce carbon emissions via avoiding mining and use of precious materials, as well as reducing the size of the packaging. That being said, the packaging size decrease will actually increase the amount of boxes that can be shipped out by 70%.
It’s speculated by Apple that the choice to sell it’s iPhone 12 models without the USB power adapters or EarPods that they will cut out carbon emissions by 2 million tons per year. That is the equivalent of removing up to 450,000 cars from the road per year.
The decision to get rid of the power adapters is also part of Apple’s plan to promote wireless charging with it’s MagSafe wireless charger.