Samsung’s Apple phase: Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 ditch all accessories from the box

Like it or not, Apple is a trend-setter. I recently touched on this in a separate story about how Android phone-makers have started adopting some of Apple’s recent ideas. Before you decide that the story is about praising Apple - it isn’t. To give you a glimpse, it focused on how Android manufacturers are already implementing things like:

• Flat sides/edges
• MagSafe

As noted in the story mentioned above, Apple has inspired Android for a variety of questionable features:

• The removal of the headphone jack (various)
• The use of Face ID when under-display fingerprint readers were available (Huawei, Honor, Google)
• Higher pricing (various)

However, in this story, we’ll put the features aside and focus on another, arguably more lucrative part of the story - accessories. As you know, the latest iPhone 12 series was the first flagship phone to ditch the earbuds and charger from the box in the name of… Earth. That’s Apple’s excuse - environmentally friendly boxes. Of course, this caused a massive backlash online, but guess what - the iPhone 12 series are by far the best-selling phones of 2020-2021.

Why? Well, those locked into Apple’s ecosystem have nowhere to go. It’s not like Android, where there are dozens of manufacturers. There’s no alternative to the iPhone - there’s no other Apple. Therefore, it would take a lot for Apple users to be converted. It won’t be a shock if Apple decides to ditch the charging cable too, and just like that, it won’t be a shock if people continue to spend $1000 on iPhones despite that.

Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3: Is the Galaxy box big enough to fit your accessories?

But! Now, back to Samsung. The South Korean tech giant quickly jumped on the “no charger in the box” train wagon.

• The Galaxy S21 phones come with just a charging cable in the box.
• Even the $1100 Galaxy S21 Ultra (just like the $1100 iPhone 12 Pro Max) also comes with no accessories apart from a cable.

And so, Apple managed to lead Android to another ridiculous move. Why is it ridiculous? Well, some people simply don’t have compatible chargers. Especially chargers that will be able to take full advantage of the charging capabilities of the phone. What do you do? You purchase one separately. Both Apple and Samsung are happy to sell you one. Why not offer it for free in case you want/need it? Xiaomi does it.

If the Galaxy S series wasn't enough, fast forward to today, and we get:

• A $999 Galaxy Z Flip 3 with no charger or earbuds included
• A $1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 3 with (say it with me) no charger or earbuds included
• The Galaxy S22 series, which camera, display, and battery specs just leaked, are also expected to come with just a charging cable in the box

If we assume that the world’s already moved towards TWS earbuds (another phenomenon inspired by Apple and the AirPods), then the removal of the wired earbuds from the box might get a pass - especially for the cheaper Flip 3.

What about the Galaxy Z Fold 3, though? Well, here, Samsung has absolutely no excuses. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 box is already big enough to fit not one but at least two chargers. It’s much slimmer this time around, but guess what - there’s still plenty of space.

Furthermore, Samsung decides to ship the Fold 3 unfolded (perhaps because it thinks of it as a tablet). Fine. But if Samsung wanted to “save Earth”, they surely would have folded the Fold to make the box half the size. Not to mention there would have been space for about four chargers if the Fold 3 shipped in its "phone form", and the box size remained the same.

Galaxy Z Fold 3: Replacing the Galaxy Note without an S-Pen… Unless you want to buy one!

And if no earbuds or chargers wasn't enough, wait until you unbox your brand new $1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 3 - the device meant to replace the Galaxy Note series. However! Not only is it not housed in the device anymore, but the new S Pen Fold Edition doesn’t even come in the box of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Much like Apple’s beloved Apple Pencil for the iPad, you have to buy it separately ($50). Want to find a place to store it? You’re in luck. Samsung will sell you a “Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G Flip Cover with S Pen” (that's the actual name!). It’s a pen holder (in this case with the S Pen included) for $80. It looks about as elegant as it sounds.

Samsung has gone further and made an S-Pen Pro, which costs $100. This one can be used across many Galaxy touch-screen devices - the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung’s latest tablets, and even certain Samsung laptops, on top of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Admittedly, this makes it a great buy for those who are already within the Galaxy ecosystem. For those who only have a Galaxy phone - not so much.

For the record, you won’t be able to use existing Galaxy S-Pens with the Z Fold 3, since this device doesn’t use a traditional digitizer, and it needs softer tips. However, this sounds like another great reason to include (at least) the cheaper S-Pen with the Z Fold 3, but Samsung doesn't think so.

Apple’s love for selling cases: In this case, Samsung approves

Another thing Apple loves to push and make money off? Cases! Now, don’t get me wrong - manufacturers have pretty much always sold cases separately. But if you rewind the clock, you’ll remember that the original Galaxy Fold tried very, very hard to make you feel like those were very, very well spent $2,000.

The original Galaxy Fold came with:

• Samsung’s latest TWS earbuds at the time
• A charger and a cable
• And, yes! A unique case, which you weren’t able to get from elsewhere due to the new form factor of this device

All of this was worth about $200, and you were ready to rock your $2,000 device and take full advantage of it right away.

Another company that still gives you accessories for your expensive devices and often lets you choose whether you want a charger with their flagship phones is Xiaomi. The Mi Mix Fold costs much less than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, yet it includes a super-fast charger and a case in the box. Samsung? Samsung is happy to sell you a case for the Fold (and Flip) separately. Do you want to protect your $1,799 cutting-edge device? Of course, you do.

In the end, it’s not surprising. Just like Apple, Samsung is another huge company that wants to sell more stuff. I have to say - they have the best role model (or the worst, depending on your perspective).

I will give credit to Samsung for reducing the price of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but now you know some of the sacrifices that had to be made. It’s not magic. Let’s just hope Apple doesn’t remove the cable from the iPhone 13 box or the box altogether because we know what (or who) will follow soon after that…

Also, for a short amount of time, you’ll be able to pre-order a Galaxy Z Flip 3 & Galaxy Z Fold 3 and receive credit so you can get your essential Fold-Flip accessories essentially for free! It’s not perfect, since this promotion ends soon. Then you’ll have to purchase accessories separately - as intended. However, it’s still very generous of Samsung, and probably something Apple would never do.