Samsung might not ship future phones with chargers, too

Embed from Getty Images

It looks like Apple might not be the only one considering getting rid of smartphone chargers in its retail boxes. A new report from South Korea claims Samsung handsets that will come out next year might not ship with chargers either. With hundreds of millions of smartphone units shipped each year, getting rid of chargers, even half of its lineup, could mean a substantial cost reduction for Samsung. It might also allow the company to price its devices more aggressively. And if you look at it from an environmental standpoint, it helps lessen e-waste, too.

The company is reportedly discussing plans to take out chargers for some of its devices, but not all. As SamMobile points out, we've come a long way from when manufacturers used to have proprietary charging slots. All Android manufacturers use standard USB connectors, with Type-C standard trickling down to mid- and even entry-level devices, allowing you to swap out chargers. Of course, we'd expect Samsung will still sell chargers separately, but now it's just going to be an additional purchase if you need it. If the reports are accurate, and this becomes a bigger industry trend, you might have to hold on to those charging cables and power bricks you have on hand.