Leaker says new iPhones won’t include EarPods or a power adaptor

Apple may not include a power adapter and earphones in the box with the new iPhone 12, set to be released later this year, according to a respected leaker.

The tech giant, which usually includes an adapter and a pair of its wired EarPods in the box of every iPhone, will sell them separately due to increased production costs related to components that support 5G. 

This change will reportedly apply to the firm’s four new iPhone 12 models, set to be released in October this year at the very earliest, as well as the new budget iPhone SE, which was released earlier this year.

iPhone 12 may not even support wired headphones, which would push customers towards Apple’s wireless Bluetooth AirPods, which start at £160. 

The claims come from renowned Apple product predictor and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as detailed in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

Apple will tout the environmental benefits of letting customers decide if they want to buy their own earphones or power adaptor, which could reduce e-waste.

But the billion-dollar tech firm reportedly wants to eliminate some of the manufacturing costs associated with making its new iPhone line-up support 5G.

The lack of adaptor and wired earphones will also allow for slimmer and therefore more eco-friendly packaging, which will also cut shipping expenses.

Despite taking these two accessories out of the equation, Apple will not be cutting the cost of the iPhone.

The four iPhone 12 models will in fact be similar in price to the current £729 iPhone 11, which comes with EarPods and a 5W USB power adapter.

‘Kuo believes that iPhone 12 production costs will significantly increase due to 5G support,’ MacRumors reports. 

‘But he expects Apple to sell the new models at a comparable price to its iPhone 11 lineup, and removing the EarPods and power adapter from the box is one way to reduce costs.’

This would make the Lightning to USB cable the only accessory included with the actual phone.

Apple will release a new 20W power adapter as an optional accessory and end production of its existing 5W and 18W power adapters later this year, the report adds. 

Irritatingly for iPhone buyers, the two iPads that Apple is set to release in the next year – one 10.8-inch model and an 8.5-inch iPad mini – will include the 20W charger in the box, Kuo said.

As for the earphones, the company will continue to offer its wired EarPods and its more expensive Bluetooth wireless AirPods, which start at £160, and AirPods Pro, which cost £250 and feature additional noise cancellation technology and water resistance.

Kuo has already said that iPhone 12 could be completely wireless, meaning users will forced to purchase the firm’s $159 AirPods.  

Apple currently sells power adaptors on its site separately – starting at £29 for 18W – as well as its EarPods, which also sell for £29. 

However, the latter may not be much use for iPhone 12 buyers if it turns out the new model doesn’t support wired earphones.   

Apple’s decision, if true, will make the second-generation iPhone SE, released earlier this year, the last of its smartphones to have been packed with the full set of accessories. 

However, Apple will stop including the power adapter with the second-generation iPhone SE later this year, Kuo said. 

The hotly anticipated ‘budget’ iPhone SE is an update of the original model of the same name, released in 2016.

The £429 device, released this April, already includes EarPods, Lightning to USB Cable and a 5W USB power adapter. 

Kuo also noted that Apple is not expected to release new models of AirPods or AirPods Pro until 2021, 9to5Mac reports.   

Apple is set to release four new iPhone 12 models later this year, according to The Wall Street Journal, all of which are expected to support 5G, the next generation connectivity standard. 

These include the standard 5.4 inch iPhone 12 model, the 6.1 inch iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Max, and lastly, the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

An alleged leak of the models suggest they will have squared-off edges – reminiscent of the iPhone 5 from 2012.

The photos, which come courtesy of Twitter user @Jin_Store, an Australia-based reseller of Apple products, show metal iPhone dummies and virtual renderings of the supposed device.

The dummies are supposedly used by iPhone accessory manufacturers to help get the shapes and sizes of their products right. 

iPhone 12 is also expected to be delayed from Apple’s usual September launch date due to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting factory shut-downs earlier in the year. 

A supplier to Apple revealed that the tech giant’s upcoming iPhone will be delayed from its usual September launch, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

US hardware manufacturer Broadcom, which develops chips for the iPhone and other Apple mobile devices, spoke of a ‘major product cycle delay’ earlier this month.

While Apple wasn’t named explicitly, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan referred to a ‘large North American mobile phone’ client during his company’s earnings call.