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…

Apple has confirmed that the Phone 12 will be the first to drop the charging plug and wired earphones from the boxCredit: apple

Apple made the announcement during the unveiling of four new iPhones at its “Hi, Speed” virtual event on Tuesday.

Speaking during the showcase, hosted at Apple Park in California, Apple’s Lisa Jackson said that more than 700million pairs of Earpods and 2billion Apple power adapters were in circulation around the world.

“And that’s not counting the billions of third party adapters,”added Jackson, who is VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives at Apple.

“We’re removing these items from the iPhone box,” Jackson said. “Which reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of precious materials.”

Apple's Lisa Jackson speaks during Tuesday's virtual event from the solar panel-clad roof of Apple Park — Apple’s Lisa Jackson speaks during Tuesday’s virtual event from the solar panel-clad roof of Apple ParkCredit: apple

The new iPhones still come with a charging cable, but customers without an adapter will have to buy one separately.

Apple charges up to £29 for USB adapters on its website. Earpods will set you back £19 on the site.

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.

Apple has included a charging cable and adapter in the box of every one of its mobiles since the original iPhoneCredit: Alamy

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.

The company charges up to £29 for a USB adapter on its websiteCredit: Apple

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.

The firm unveiled two new smartwatches on Tuesday, the Apple Watch SE (left) and Series 6 (centre) that will not ship with a power adapter in the boxCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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.

Apple is said to be ditching the charging adapter (that's the plug bit) from the box of the iPhone 12, which is expected to hit shelves in October — Apple is said to be ditching the charging adapter (that’s the plug bit) from the box of the iPhone 12, which is expected to hit shelves in October

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