The Apple Earpods may really not come inside the box with the latest iPhone 12 models based on the release of iOS 14.2 beta.
Apple is moving towards a carbon-neutral future. It doesn’t want its fortune to come at the expense of the environment. As such, it has decided to use more recycled materials for their products. They are also becoming more aware of the true impacts of production on the ecosystem.
Two weeks ago, Apple announced the Apple Watch 6 and Apple Watch SE. Both of these new smartwatches didn’t come with a power brick. Instead, Apple only packed a USB charger with the box. The same thing could be happening with the iPhone 12s coming this mid-October.
iOS 14.2 beta confirms Apple Earpods are scrapped
MacRumors picked up this information based on the RF Exposure menu on the latest iOS 14.2 beta. The notice, in the previous iOS versions, originally said,
“To reduce exposure to RF energy, use a hands-free option, such as the built-in speakerphone, the supplied headphones, or other similar accessories.”
After the update, it removed the “supplied” word prior to the earphones. It could simply be an oversight from the company’s end. However, it is more likely that the rumors about the Apple Earpods not shipping within the box are true. As such, the new iPhones coming this year will no longer come with free earphones.
This may or may not be good news for some. However, it seems like Apple is just trying to find ways to mitigate skyrocketing price tags on their phones. Equipping the iPhone 12s with 5G is no small feat. The bands and antennas are costly. As a result, Apple has to cut corners one way or another.
No power brick too
As mentioned earlier, Apple already hinted that it is going to be more eco-friendly moving forward. As such, the Apple Watches didn’t ship with a wall charger. After all, Apple says that many of their customers already have a charger lying around in their house waiting to be used.
The same could be applied to the iPhone 12. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and leaker L0vetodream have both earlier speculated this bit of news. They could be right about it again.
This move by Apple will most likely be viewed as another way for the company to pad its profit margin. As such, it will be interesting to see how Apple will package the message in a way that will be accepted by the masses.
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