July 9, 2020 - 10:32 AMT
Report: Samsung won’t include chargers with some phones from 2021

Samsung may not include chargers in the boxes of some of its smartphones starting in 2021, according to a report from Korean news site ETNews. The company is taking them out because many people already have chargers and to help reduce costs, the report says, according to The Verge.

While not including a charger in the box might seem like a big move, Samsung reportedly isn’t the only major phone maker considering it. Apple may do something similar by not including a charger with this year’s iPhone lineup, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple may also phase out the 5W and 18W chargers that currently come with iPhones (depending on which model you buy) and instead offer a new 20W fast charger that will be sold separately, said Kuo.

Removing chargers from phone boxes could be a major way for Samsung and Apple to lower the costs of selling their phones and make their phone packaging smaller, but it could also have a significant impact on the environment. Taking them out of some of the top-selling smartphones could help reduce the number of chargers that go unused and are thrown away because people already have a bunch more scattered around their house.