iPhone 12: Apple roasted for not including headphones or a charger with new smartphones

Apple was boasting about the features on its new iPhone 12 range this morning, but there’s one thing they left out and people are not happy.

Apple was proudly crowing about a series of new features for its upcoming iPhone 12 range this morning, but there’s one thing about the new smartphones that has left many disappointed.

The tech giant began by announcing that there would be a new way to charge your iPhone called MagSafe.

It’s a circular magnet in the back of the new phones which will make for improved wireless charging.

This led to speculation that Apple wouldn’t bother including a charger in the box and, in a section of this morning’s event dedicated to reducing environmental impacts, the fears were realised.

In fact the four new models will no longer come with headphones or a charger adaptor when you buy them.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about the new iPhone

Apple is removing the charger and headphones from the iPhone 12 box, to cut down on its carbon footprint. #AppleEvent https://t.co/RvgHd31h24 pic.twitter.com/iY5m4l6kR2

— CNBC (@CNBC) October 13, 2020

Apple iPhone 12 to be released with no charger adapter and headphone in box#AppleEvent #iPhone12 pic.twitter.com/jWPFNQ3AbA

— iPhone 12 (@iphone12models) October 13, 2020

Apple is now copping a roasting over the omissions from many on social media who see the environmental reasoning as an “excuse” to cut costs.

Wait. What!? They are removing the charger and headphones from the box of the new iPhone 12 “for environmental reasons”!!! #appleevent I thought it was stingy to remove the lightning to 3.5mm jack last year. Hope they’re dropping the price accordingly!!! 😎

— Glen Mulcahy 📱 (@GlenBMulcahy) October 13, 2020

I get it.

They're trying to push everyone to use Bluetooth headphones (AirPods or Beats) and wireless chargers.

However, not everyone is up to speed. Charging hundreds of dollars for a phone and can't even include the charger. 😩

iPhone users are loyal! https://t.co/AItxgJNQx5

— Sydney Simone (@SydneySimone1) October 13, 2020

Damn, if removing the charger from the box has such a massive environmental impact, imagine the environmental impact of SIMPLY NOT BUYING A NEW IPHONE

— Stan Schroeder (@franticnews) October 13, 2020

I love how Apple touts removing headphones & charger from the iPhone box, for the environment, but they kept the price "the same!" #AppleEvent spin

— Jason O'Grady ⚡️ (@JasonOGrady) October 13, 2020

No charger to save the environment...lol that's really funny. If they really cared about the environment Apple should launch a new iPhone every 2 years instead of 12 months. How much is an Apple certified charger?

— Florian Seroussi (@florianseroussi) October 13, 2020

Many Apple fans had also been hoping for a USB-C port on the new phone — the industry-standard connector that is being used by pretty much every other major tech company in the world.

But their hopes were dashed this morning when Apple announced it would be continuing with its Lightning charging port.

It confirmed the new iPhone 12 models will include a new Lightning to USB-C cable instead of the classic Lightning to USB-A cable.

The new cable replaces the USB wall charger which used to come with the phones, so you’ll need to charge your phone by plugging it into another USB-C power adaptor or computer port.

So,

There's millions of USB-A power bricks out in the world right now

So Apple won't include one w/ iPhone

B/c you likely have a USB-A power adapter

So it's "for the environment"

But now they ship iPhone with lightning to USB-C cable

Which doesn't plug into those old bricks

— Steggy (Jeff Stegner) (@Steggy) October 13, 2020

Here’s a $1,000+ phone that supports fast charging with USB-C but urgh… the fast charger doesn’t come in the box… but you probably won’t have a USB-C charging brick so we’ll sell you one #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/S7VIm2v70A

— Nirave 尼拉夫 (@nirave) October 13, 2020

USB-C to lightning 🤮
Stop being cowards Apple and go full USB-C

— Space Been Fake (@awwhalenawl) October 13, 2020

#AppleEvent

Everyone: Give us USB-C in the new iPhone 12

Apple : pic.twitter.com/YFCUQDSWCv

— Meera (@meera_3001) October 13, 2020

Apple claims it is ditching the boxed headphones and charger for environmental reasons — saying customers around the world already have a combined total of 700 million headphones and that many customers have moved to wireless.

It says two billion of its power adaptors are out there in addition to billions more third party ones.

“We are removing these items from the iPhone box, which reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of precious materials,” a spokeswoman for the company said.

“Removing these also means a smaller, lighter iPhone box. We can fit up 70 per cent more products on a shipping pallet — reducing carbon emissions in our global logistics chain.”

Apple believes these changes will cut more than two million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to removing nearly 450,000 cars from the road per year.

Good or bad move? Tell us what you think in the comments below