- A new iPhone 12 rumor reiterates recent claims that said the new iPhone will not be bundled with free EarPods and a new charger.
- A leaker says the iPhone 12 retail box will be thinner and “exquisite,” as a result.
- The same rumor says that a future version of the second-gen iPhone SE retail box will ditch the charger and wired headphones.
Apple will launch four iPhone 12 versions this year that will feature 5G connectivity and OLED all-screen displays. That’s what most rumors indicate right now. The cheapest models might be even more affordable than the cheapest iPhone 11 model, the same reports say. On top of that, Apple might also sell at least one 4G-only version of the iPhone 12 that could start as low as $549.
There’s also a more controversial rumor out there that says the iPhone 12 will be Apple’s first iPhone to launch without two key accessories in the box. That’s the phone charger and the EarPods headphones that shipped with every iPhone so far. Long-time iPhone users who already have plenty of chargers and spares might not be bothered by the news. The same goes for iPhone owners who already bought AirPods or other types of headphones and plan to upgrade to iPhone 12. There will be a category of buyers who will not like the fact that the iPhone 12 ships without these bundled accessories. This is still a rumor, as Apple will never confirm such leaks before the iPhone’s press conference. But it looks like more and more people say the iPhone 12 box will not get any accessories aside from a charging cable.
A leaker who posts details about unreleased Apple products on Twitter is the latest person to say the iPhone 12 models will not be bundled with EarPods and chargers. The Chinese Twitter user @L0vetodream noted in a new update that the iPhone 12 retail box will become “thinner” and “exquisite.”
in my dream, the new IPhone will not come with the charger and earphone , this even applying to SE2. The new packaging box become thinner, and Exquisite.
— 有没有搞措 (@L0vetodream) July 1, 2020
The leaker suggests that a future retail box version of the second-generation iPhone SE handset will come without the charger and EarPods. As it is right now, the handset is bundled with the same 5W charger that Apple used for years. It’s unclear whether the iPhone SE price will be lowered in such a case. If anything, removing the EarPods and charger from the box would allow Apple to set lower price points for all its iPhones going forward.
It’s unclear what an “exquisite” iPhone retail box will look like, and it’s the kind of detail that would not matter for most people. However, Apple cares about such details, and the company has employed minimal packaging for its products over the years. The iPhone box has had the same general structure for years.
The box usually has about the same width and height as the iPhone, but it’s a lot thicker. That’s because it has to house all those accessories, including the bulky charger, the wired headphones, and the charging cable. Keeping only the charging cable in the box would allow Apple to significantly reduce the volume of the box, and shrink it down considerably. That said, there are no leaked images to show the iPhone 12 retail box design at this point. As we get closer to the expected mid-September launch date for the handset, we’ll probably see more leaks that will either confirm or deny these rumors.
Separately, the iPhone 12 is rumored to support faster wired charging. A 20W charger already leaked, but the device will have to be purchased independently if these rumors come true.
