Will Smartphones End Up Without Accessories?
After The Removal Of The Charger Adapter In Some Apple And Samsung Products, the question arises: Will Other Accessories Suffer The Same Fate?
It made headlines when Apple decided in October 2020 to remove charging adapters from the iPhone 12 series and all its future smartphones. Of course, Apple was not the only company to do so, and Samsung joined the movement with flagships like the S21. Now the question arises: Will the new policies of Apple and Samsung quickly become an industry standard, forcing owners of new smartphones to buy basic accessories in addition to expensive hardware?
First, let’s go back and talk about why we removed the charger from the smartphone case. Apple attributed this to environmental measures. Electronics of all kinds require minerals and plastics, thus eliminating the earth’s limited resources; Of course, supply chain pollution should not forget. Fewer peripherals require less packaging, saving resources such as trees and making crop transportation more environmentally efficient.
This is partially offset by the extra materials and supply chains needed for third-party accessories; But as long as people do not increase their purchases, it can protect the environment.
According to android authorities, the fact is that Apple and Samsung do not offer free adapters (headphones) to buyers. These companies have received the full price from the buyers and have not even considered any compensation for the lack of discounted parts. Obviously, in such a situation, in such circumstances, the main motivation of these companies to eliminate accessories is considered profitability.
Where is the end of the Samsung-Apple path?
The decision to remove the power adapters means that there is currently only one connection cable in the box of Apple and Samsung phones other than the main product; Of course, there is a lightning cable on the side of the iPhone, which has relatively limited performance. Apple has resisted changing the cable to USB-C, and this fact is one of the strongest arguments against the company’s environmental position. Dedicated portals mean that customers must purchase separate accessories for specific company products.
Of course, looking at Apple’s path over the past few years, it seems that Apple may be eliminating ports. The company showed its courage in 2016 when it introduced the iPhone 7, removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. Also, wireless chargers have become more common since then. However, the Lightning port still has its own features, including CarPlay, faster charging, and iTunes syncing. Finally, it’s not hard to imagine Apple removing all ports and cables and replacing them with wireless one day. Such a decision would allow the company to eliminate all associated accessories, reduce parts costs, and clean up the iPhone’s interior design space.
For almost a decade now, Samsung has been imitating Apple. If the American company removes all the ports of its smartphones, the same thing will probably happen to Samsung products. Of course, the company does not seem to be doing this quickly. Most of Samsung’s mobile revenue comes from markets where people tend to use affordable models; For this reason, they can not buy wireless accessories. Flagship handsets are expected to be a priority on the Note and Galaxy S lines.
Apple even seems to be implementing these changes step by step, keeping at least one older model with a lightning port among its products as newer versions evolve and go wireless. Theoretically, wireless technology could only apply to Pro phones; But if all the new models have such a feature, it will be easier for people to accept cordless smartphones.
Which path do other companies take?
Due to the large number of people who consider the cost-effectiveness of the device as one of the main factors for buying, it won’t be easy to sell a lot of mobile phones without some accessories and connection ports. In addition, other issues may require technologies such as 5G and fast Qi charging, which are not fully implemented even in Europe or North America.
Even if Samsung and Apple take this path, it will probably take years for the rest of the industry to enter, and it cannot be guaranteed that all of them will. Meanwhile, products like the OnePlus Nord 2, which comes with a charging cable and adapter and other accessories such as a case and screen protector, can be more popular than others. This product also comes with a pair of airbags in France. Xiaomi does not have a charger in China, But it offers this part at no extra cost and comes with accessories from May 11 world versions.
Finally, it should note that it is difficult to resist the influence of Apple and Samsung in the smartphone industry; Therefore, the ultimate goal will be to remove the accessories. We hope that wireless technologies will have improved and become more pervasive when the last cable is removed from the smartphone case.