![]() Aira, a company that makes unique wireless charging tech that can detect a device's placement rather than requiring specific positioning on the user's part, says MagSafe adds a "layer of fragmentation and exclusion to the mix." Existing wireless chargers will still recharge the iPhone 12 range, but customers are likely going to adopt this new system and dispose of their older accessories. Yet the company today announced a new MagSafe system for the iPhone 12, allowing the device to securely and magnetically attach to other accessories, like wireless chargers, cases, and wallets. Unless you have a USB-C adapter from a third-party accessory maker or from other electronics you purchased, you'll need a new adapter.Īpple has previously argued against the European Union's push for a universal charger across all smartphones, saying it would stifle innovation and create an "unprecedented volume of electronic waste," as people would get rid of their Lightning accessories and cables en masse. The iPhone 12 comes with only a USB-C to Lightning cable, which is incompatible with that adapter. Similarly, last year's iPhone 11 included a power adapter with a USB-A port. Yet two different cables are required between Apple's iPad Pro and the iPhone, creating more e-waste. The same USB-C cable used to recharge Facebook's Oculus Quest virtual reality headset can also juice up a Samsung phone or a Chromebook. The iPhone uses a proprietary Lightning port, but most of the tech industry has turned to the USB-C connector for charging, connecting displays, and transferring files. Kuehr also highlights that Apple doesn't use a universal charging cable among its portfolio of devices. They ship based on demand, not based on how many they can put on a pallet." They don't suddenly ship 200 to the store. If they already sell 100 units of iPhones to a specific store, they will still ship that number after today. "The way that it's distributed is not based on how many they can put in a pallet but based on demand, and I don't think the demand will change. "They talk about pallet utilization in which they can somehow transport more iPhones," Behdad says. While this is anecdotal, and Behdad says there need to be surveys and more research to make any conclusive statements, it's quite possible people will buy more than one charger from Apple or other accessory makers. Behdad says she's used more chargers than the number of phones she's owned. The relationship between a charger and an iPhone isn't necessarily one-to-one, either. Then they have to purchase them, and that requires packaging and extra transportation." "Apple's analysis is based on this impression that some users really don't need chargers and EarPods, because they already have them. Sara Behdad, a sustainability researcher at the University of Florida, agrees. Those will now need to be packed and shipped separately from the phones, thereby increasing the environmental consequences. People may use what they have available at home, but many will still buy adapters from Apple. The lack of a charging adapter in the box doesn't mean people won't need them anymore, Kuehr says. At the maximum, you could probably say it's 25,000 metric tons, or 0.05 percent of the total e-waste increase annually." If you consider only Apple's portion, it's probably half or less. "This makes up roughly 54,000 metric tons of e-waste generated. ![]() "The percentage of chargers coming from tablets, smartphones, et cetera is 0.1 percent of the total e-waste increase," he said. Yet Kuehr says it's important to put the impact of the removal of the charger and EarPods from the latest iPhones and Apple Watches into perspective. "Taken all together, the changes we’ve made for iPhone 12 cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon annually it’s like removing 450,000 cars from roads every year." Jackson claims that Apple can fit up to 70 percent more products on a shipping pallet. With fewer items included, the iPhone's packaging is smaller. We're removing these items from the iPhone box, which reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of precious materials." "There are also over 2 billion Apple power adapters out there in the world, and that's not counting the billions of third-party adapters. "Customers already have over 700 million Lightning headphones, and many customers have moved to a wireless experience," said Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives at Apple, during Tuesday's iPhone launch event. The company's reasons are straightforward. A charging cable is included (USB-C to Lightning cable for the iPhone 12), but Apple wants buyers to supply their own charging bricks to plug into the wall. It's the same with the Apple Watches that debuted last month. Apple's newest iPhone comes with no charging adapter or EarPods in the box.
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