iPhone 12: Don't be surprised if this key feature is missing

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We'd heard for some time now that the iPhone 12 might ship without a charging adapter, but now that future is starting to look real.

Apple confirmed at its "Time Flies" event that the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series SE would not come with charging bricks (the charging cradle and cord are included). Apple says removing the charger will help the company reduce its carbon footprint and reach its environmental goals.

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If the company really believes in that mission, then it will stop including a charger with the iPhone 12, as several leakers and analysts have predicted. We first heard about Apple's intention of omitting the charger in a June report by reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also said EarPods would be missing from the box.

More recently, leaker Mark Gurman suggested in a tweet that the iPhone 12 would follow the Apple Watch in removing the USB power adapters.

There it is: Apple removing USB power adapters from Apple Watch. Next month: iPhone.September 15, 2020

All these signs point to Apple shipping the iPhone 12 and its varieties without a charging brick when the phones arrive next month. Yes, the $1,000+ you plunk down on your next phone won't even go toward a charger. Chances are, however, that you already own a USB adapter from a previous purchase.

Along with the environmental impact Apple is claiming, omitting the charger could keep the iPhone 12's price closer to that of the iPhone 11 and offset the cost of adding 5G. At the same time, scrapping EarPods will encourage customers to buy a pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro. Apple is also expected to reveal a pair of over-head AirPods Studio in the coming months.

If you don't already own a power adapter, they don't come cheap. If you want fast charging, you'll need to spend another $29 for the 18W adapter, or you can go the slow route and buy the standard 5W charger for $19.

Apple hasn't officially revealed what will come in an iPhone 12 box but we should find out soon enough. The company is expected to reveal four new iPhone flavors: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Max, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max at a yet-to-be-announced event next month.

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.