Why your iPhone 12 box will only have a phone in it

In a not-so-shocking turn of events, reports suggest that the next iPhone box will be more bare than ever before. Is it because Apple’s going for the super-minimalist look? Maybe. There’s also the chance that Apple just wants you to spend more money. 

The first indication that the company is planning not to bundle smartphone chargers with upcoming devices was leaked by Apple insiders. During the company’s recent product reveal event, it cited environmentalism reasons, saying that the company wants to reduce electronic waste. And it released the 6th generation Apple Watch into the world sans charger in the box. 

By doing this, Apple slyly confirmed that it really may hold off on chargers for the next generation of iPhone. That means no power brick, and no Lightning cable. 

Because everyone that upgrades to the new iPhone used to own an iPhone, right? 

… right?

Apple being Apple, it’s clear that the company has made an executive decision to milk its customers for even more than it already does. When it removed the headphone jack, an adaptor came bundled with the first-generation without the headphone jack. It quickly realised money could be made there, and now the accessory retails for R250 a pop. 

“So just buy the Apple AirPods,” the naysayers will argue. The same AirPods which cost you R3,500, if you opt for the non-wireless charging models. This is significant, because new reports suggest that Apple may not bundle its wired Apple earphones with upcoming devices either. 

A report by MacRumors suggests that Apple made a minor change in a recent update to the iOS codebase. It changed some wording, which may seem insignificant until you look closer: “supplied headphones” turned into to “headphones” in the section that mentions suggestions to reduce RF exposure. “To reduce exposure to RF energy, use a hands-free option, such as the built-in speakerphone, headphones, or other similar accessories,” it reads. 

Hmmm…

Although this isn’t a clear-cut indication that Apple won’t bundle wired earphones, the possibility is real. From a business perspective, it makes sense to give customers even more reason to visit your store and purchase more of your consumables aka accessories. After all, that’s where these companies continuously make bank. 

It’s mighty arrogant of Apple to assume all new Apple customers already have power bricks, Lightning (or USB-C, that’s not confirmed yet) cables and wireless earbuds at the ready. First-time Apple users will need to keep some cash-on-hand for all of the accessories needed to get set up with the iPhone 12. If, that is, the above reports turn out to be true. 

The best way to find out if Apple plans to bankrupt most people, is by tuning in on the next Apple event where we’ll see the company reveal its next-gen iPhone lineup. Although we don’t have a proper date scheduled for the event yet, insiders are thinking 13 or 14 October are the days to watch.