The Apple iPhones no longer ship with a charger and earphones, and report after report has suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S21 series will also be sold without these accessories.
Most of these leaks center on the power brick and there was still some hope that earphones will remain. One leak went as far as to say that the new phones will come with the upcoming Galaxy Buds Beyond/Pro. Well, that seems unlikely.
For starters, leaker Roland Quandt has already said that the Galaxy S21 will be sold without a charger, cover, and headphones.
A now-deleted tweet by leaker Ishan Agarwal hints at the same, according to GSM Arena. Although this scoop is about UK-bound models, it likely applies to all regions.
Samsung was quick to take a swipe at Apple when it announced its seemingly pro-environment decision. The South Korean colossus is now trying to cover its tracks by deleting social media posts that mocked Apple, forgetting that what happens on the internet, stays on the internet.
A filing made in Brazil has also confirmed that the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra will be sold without chargers.
In the box, you will probably only find the USB-C to USB-C cable. To soften the blow, Samsung is expected to launch a new 30W brick alongside the Galaxy S21 series phones which will cost less than its 25W charger.
Will Samsung go the Apple way or Xiaomi way?
Samsung will probably also try to position the decision under the guise of environmental protection.
Consumers will have a hard time digesting that, especially after Xiaomi's recent move. With the new Mi 11 series, the Chinese company has also done away with the charger as an environmental measure, but its decision doesn't seem like a money grab.
That's because Xiaomi will be selling two versions, one without a charger and one as a bundle with a 55W GaN wired charger, and both cost the same.
It remains to be seen if Samsung will do something similar, though it seems highly unlikely. At the end of the day, Apple seems to have gotten away with the move, and if anything, the iPhone 12 appears to be doing quite well.
What's more, the decision is also apparently boosting the sales of Apple's wireless earbuds.
Thus, if Samsung decides to sell chargers and earphones separately, most consumers will whine for a few days at most, and before long, this will probably become an industry-wide trend.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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