iPhone 12 Series to Ship Without EarPods, Charging Adapter: Report

iPhone 12 is expected to release this fall and a new investor note reiterates that Apple won't bundle wired headphones inside the retail box this time around. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted the same in the past, suggesting that it's a strategic move to push for better AirPods sales. The Cupertino giant is expected to not bring any AirPods refresh this year, after launching two new models last year. Therefore, this new strategy could help drive AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro sales through the holiday season.

A new Barclays investor note has been accessed by MacRumors, and analysts from the firm also suggest that the iPhone 12 series won't come with EarPods in the box. The note goes on to add that Apple may not ship the iPhone 12 series with a power adapter either. This means the retail box this time is expected to pack just the iPhone and a USB Type-C to Lightning cable inside the box. Barclays analyst claim that the information has been sourced based on discussions with multiple Apple suppliers.

If true, iPhone 12 buyers may have to shell out more if they don't have a USB Type-C charger lying at home. In the US, a 5W Apple adapter costs $19 (roughly Rs. 1,500), while the 18W adapter is priced at $29 (roughly Rs. 2,100). The 18W adapter is currently shipped with the iPhone 11 Pro.

The analysts claim that Apple is behind schedule by about four to six weeks for the mass production of iPhone 12. The company will go ahead with unveiling the new iPhone 12 series in September, but sale of few models may not begin till October.

Talking about the cameras, the analysts suggest that the two ‘higher-end iPhone 12 Pro models' will sport a triple camera setup with LiDAR scanner. This suggests that the new iPhones may see amplified AR experiences.

Even the Barclays analysts predict that AirPods will launch in early 2021, and a refresh isn't coming this year. They also seem to have heard about an iPad Pro refresh later this year, but haven't detailed much on the possible upcoming device.

WWDC 2020 had a lot of exciting announcements from Apple, but which are the best iOS 14 features for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.