When Apple removed the charger from its boxes with the release of the iPhone 12, one could legitimately wonder whether or not Android smartphone manufacturers would follow the same path. Samsung, for example, has also decided to remove the box adapter from the Galaxy S21, but OnePlus will not.
Credit: OnePlus
A month ago, the famous leaker Max Jambor had hinted on Twitter that OnePlus was not going to remove the box industry adapter from its smartphones, unlike some of its competitors like Apple or Samsung. It’s now official, since Pete Lau, the CEO of OnePlus, confirmed himself on the brand forum that the company would not ignore the charger.
The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro should therefore be delivered with a Warp Charge 65W charger in the box, while the OnePlus 9R will have to settle for a slightly less powerful charger. The Pro version and standard model will be equipped with 4500 mAh batteries,while the OnePlus 9R would have a larger battery of 5000 mAh.
Remove the charger from smartphone boxes, good or bad idea?
Apple and Samsung cite environmental reasons for removing the charger from their smartphone boxes, but some users who still decide to buy one inevitably end up generating a larger carbon footprint than if the charger had been included in the box.
The most relevant solution is probably the one Xiaomi experienced in China on the sale of its Mi 11. Indeed, the manufacturer did not include chargers in the boxes of its smartphones, but left the choice to the consumer to add one to their order, and this for free. For example, those who already had a charger at home and did not want to take advantage of the 55W fast charging could choose not to create additional potential e-waste.
However, one might think that OnePlus could be tempted by this trend in a few years,since the manufacturer generally opposes them for a year or two before finally giving in. For example, the company had long struggled with maintaining the jack, and had waited a long time before equipping its smartphones with wireless charging.
The three smartphones will be officially presented by OnePlus on March 23, 2021, and are expected to be available for sale in the following weeks. The OnePlus 9 Pro was unveiled in an official video two weeks before the announcement.