Why Apple Removed Chargers From Boxes

The phone itself, a set of EarPods, and a power adapter. We woke up to two of those items gone. Apple reported that it was out of environmental responsibility, which brought this change, but many suspected it to be a matter of cutting costs. Also, some felt that Apple was just being Apple—bold, tenacious, and unafraid to cause a furor.

But in the midst of the noise, we have a larger story. We see the removal of chargers as a balance between environmental goals, logistic strategy, design evolution, and the ever-changing expectations of consumers. Also, whether you liked it or not, the fact is it changed the smartphone industry. Let’s get into it in a human and relatable way.

1. The Environmental Angle: Apple’s Primary Story

Apple put out that they are protecting the environment, which is what got the most press. They reported that by getting rid of the chargers, we see a reduction in e-waste and also that which is associated with the manufacture and shipping of millions of devices a year.

Think of the number of chargers the average smartphone user amasses over time. We see one with every new phone purchase but also have drawers full of ones that are fine to use. Apple put forth that it is unnecessary to include multiple chargers with each purchase. By removing them from the box, they also removed large amounts of raw materials, packaging space, and in turn reduced global shipping emissions.

Whether you accept Apple’s eco-arguments or think it’s a handy marketing play, what is clear is that they have reduced the number of accessories, which in turn means less waste. E-waste is the fastest-growing waste category we have. We see piles of chargers, cables, tiny plastics, and electronic scrap amassing very quickly. Into this picture, Apple has put forward their play for sustainability, which includes recycled materials, energy-efficient production, and our 2050 goal of carbon neutrality.

Is that the full story? It doesn’t seem so. But it is a piece of it.

2. Shrinking the Box: A Logistical Play Move

Once upon a time, Apple removed the chargers and EarPods from the packaging. At first, it may have seemed like a design choice, but it was also a smart business move. With a thinner box, Apple is able to put in more units, which in turn means they require fewer cargo ships for the same shipment. This also plays into their environmental message, but it also reduces shipping costs.

For a company that ships in the range of tens of millions of smartphones worldwide per annum, these results add up. Distribution is a very under-recognized element of Apple’s strategy. If you manage to ship 70% more units per pallet, that is an enormous win for operations.

The small box is also a benefit for retail partners’ shelf stocking. We can fit in more units into the same space; thus, stores can include a larger selection of products during high-demand seasons. It is a subtle point but one that plays into Apple’s focused approach to efficiency.

3. Consumer trends have shifted

In other news that leads up to this—Apple knows what’s been going on in the charging world. A decade past saw almost universal use of the stock device charger at purchase. Today, we see most home users with a collection of adapters, wireless charging pads, car chargers, power banks, and even outdated large laptop chargers that also work for phones via USB-C.

Apple has noted that the average consumer is not in great need of yet another adapter. Many people, in fact, did not open the new chargers that came with their phones. Also, note the way the wind is blowing in terms of the shift to wireless charging. We see more users charging their devices via MagSafe pads, Qi chargers, and multi-device charging stations that charge phones, watches, and earbuds.

Apple’s choice may not fit what others are doing, in particular first-time iPhone buyers, but it does play into what the majority of users do.

4. Transition to USB-C (and also other standards)

The digital handset world has gone towards standardization, which in turn is a result of global effort to reduce e-waste. One way is to adopt common charging systems. Apple held out for its Lightning port for a while, which was different from what the rest of the world was moving to in USB-C. But it was governments, mainly in Europe, that pushed for a universal port to get consumers out of the cycle of buying new chargers.

Sure, here is the paraphrase of the provided text: from telephones to tablets and laptops and even in and out of headphones—we are talking all of it.

By the removal of chargers, Apple has announced that they have faith in the future of universal chargers, which will no longer require a separate brand-specific adapter to be included.

5. A business decision that saves billions

Let’s be real: removing chargers is also not just for the planet. It’s for the bottom line of Apple, which they are very much into. Chargers require materials for production, assembly, packaging, and quality control, which in turn incur cost. By getting rid of them, they see large-scale cost reduction.

Now throw in what we discussed related to the shipping costs, and that’s an enormous financial benefit. Apple ships out hundreds of millions of iPhones per year. Also, a small decrease in accessory production is a billion-dollar issue over time.

This doesn’t mean that the company is out for pure self-gain—business decisions are usually much more complex than that. But it does help to note why Apple did what it did at first—they looked at the big picture, which played out over time. The short-term complaints were a small price to pay.

6. Encouraging Add-On Sales (That Controversial Issue)

Some critics say that Apple removed the chargers to push out separate accessories. If your old charger is of a slow speed or does not support fast charge, you may be prompted to go out and get a new one.

Apple’s fast-charging feature works with the more powerful USB-C adapters. Many older Lightning adapters don’t deliver that speed. Also, wireless charging pads are still more expensive than traditional adapters.

This is what got the fire under the controversy. Apple did reduce waste at some level, but what they also did was push users to buy into the accessory cycle, in particular for the top-speed charging options.

Whether Apple had this in mind or not, what we see is that chargers are now a separate product category, which also happens to do very well in sales.

7. Apple is at it again.

Apple saw a direct result of their decision, which was the rest of the smartphone industry in tow. Out of the initial criticism which Apple received, they had, in fact, quietly—almost secretly—begun to see other major brands remove the chargers from what came in the box with their phones. By and large, Samsung, Xiaomi, and the like fell in line.

 

Removing the headphone jack, getting rid of optical drives, we see the removal of physical home buttons, and now they’re doing away with chargers.

Whether you are a fan of them or not, Apple is setting the trend.

8. The Bigger Picture: Heading into a port-free future.

For a while now, it has been the report that Apple is working on an all-new version of the iPhone which does away with ports entirely and which charges wirelessly. Also reported is that this will be a key piece of Apple’s long-term plan for the iPhone.

As that future device comes to be, we won’t see the point in including a wired charger in the box. What we are seeing now is a step in that direction. We are prompting users to adopt wireless solutions, getting them used to the purchase of accessories à la carte, and at the same time, we are setting the stage for a totally port-free design.

Apple is a company that plays the long-term game, which this is a part of.

Conclusion

Apple didn’t base its decision to take out chargers from iPhone boxes on one thing. It was a mix of environmental goals, business issues, changing what consumers want, industry trends, and Apple’s forward-looking design thinking. Some see the move as a step toward sustainability, others as a cost-cutting measure to sell more accessories.

The fact is we are seeing a perfect average of truth, which is usual. What is for sure is that the decision transformed the industry, and today it is a common practice across smartphone brands.