After mocking Apple, Samsung stops including chargers with phones

By

No Samsung charger for you!
Samsung buyers could soon wave goodbye to a free wireless charger and headphones.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Samsung is copying Apple again. The Galaxy S21 series reportedly will not come with a wall charger or a pair of headphones when the new top-tier handset debuts in January.

This despite Samsung mocking Apple in October for leaving these accessories out of the iPhone 12 box.

The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra scored approval today from Agência Nacional De Telecomunicações, according to Tecnoblog. ANATEL is the Brazilian agency that must sign off on phones, and it supposedly leaked some details about Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone.

That includes the fact that none of the S21 series models will come with a wall charger or a headset.

No Samsung charger: A bit of hypocrisy, hmm?

Apple made headlines this autumn when it stopped including a wall chargers and headphones with the iPhone 12, as well as every handset sold through the Apple Store.

Archrival Samsung quickly made fun of the decision. It posted a Tweet with a picture of a power adapter and the note “Included with your Galaxy.”

Samsung threw mud at the iPhone 12.
Samsung disparaged Apple’s move to stop including a charger and headphone with every phone. And now it’s allegedly doing the same thing.
Screenshot: Samsung

But it seems Samsung quickly came to regret its mockery, as the post has since been deleted. And now we apparently know why: because the Galaxy-maker is about to follow Apple’s lead.

Helping the environment

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s head of environmental initiatives, explained why her company stopping bundling wall chargers and headphones with every iPhone. “We are removing these items from the iPhone box, which reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of precious materials.” The change also makes the iPhone box smaller, reducing greenhouse gases needed to ship these products.

Samsung could well be imitating Apple’s move for the same reasons.

 coipies

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.