Samsung will reportedly skip bundling a power adapter on its smartphones starting next year. As per the Korean news site, ETNews, the phone maker is considering the move to cut costs that are expected to further rise as new technologies such as folding screens and 5G connectivity make their way onto more phones. The expected timeline suggests Samsung’s next flagship set of Galaxy S phones could be the first to ditch in-box accessories and won’t affect the company’s upcoming new Galaxy Note phones.
ETNews says Samsung’s decision to no longer include a charger in the box is in the early stages and the company is discussing its impact with its manufacturing partners. In addition to offsetting the added charges of 5G components, this will allow Samsung to ship its phones in more compact packaging and save in distribution costs as well.
Samsung sells millions of phones every year and not bundling a charger can potentially also have a significant environmental impact. Most of its customers already own a power adapter and won’t necessarily feel the need to buy a new one. Electronic waste figures have hit a record high and only about 17% of it is recycled, as per data released by the World Health Organization.
Samsung isn’t the only one possibly planning to ditch in-box power adapters. According to longtime analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will not include a charger or wired earbuds with this year’s iPhone 12 lineup to keep the starting price the same as the existing iPhone 11 series. Unlike Apple, the report doesn’t mention whether Samsung would omit complimentary earbuds too. It’s not clear at the moment whether these companies will continue offering a data cable in the box.
It remains to be seen how Samsung or Apple will accommodate this major shift. Higher-end models from these companies come bundled with fast chargers that, if bought separately, will set the owner back by at least $40.
More importantly, if the two biggest smartphone manufacturers will begin ditching in-box accessories, it’s likely that the rest of the industry will follow suit too, as we’ve seen in the past.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.