Google recently unveiled its upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, with some pretty impressive specs including using its own Google Tensor system-on-chip. However, one thing you won’t be getting out of the box with a Pixel 6 device is an included charger.
According to The Verge, Google has told them that the Pixel 5A would be the last Google smartphone to come with a charger included in the box. Google claims that most people would already have a charger with a USB-C cable, so there’s no real need to include it with their phones anymore.
Another argument behind excluding chargers is that it would lead to less e-waste. Seeing as most people already have charging bricks and cables, the idea is that it would discourage people throwing away older but still perfectly good chargers when they buy a new phone. That being said, as newer devices come with new features like improved fast charging, consumers may end up buying more powerful chargers anyway, except this time from third-party companies instead.
Of course, it probably helps that this decision would help them save a bit in cost too, though we can’t be certain how big of a factor that was. As of time of writing, a standard 18W charging brick from Google costs SGD50 on Google Singapore’s online store.
This move also means that Google is now the third major smartphone manufacturer to stop including charging bricks with their smartphones. Apple of course kicked things off by excluding them from the iPhone 12 lineup.
Samsung then followed Apple’s initiative, with the Korean giant recently confirming that the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 won’t come with chargers too as part of its sustainability efforts. Samsung however seems to only do this for their flagship devices, with the more affordable Galaxy M and S series still keeping their charging bricks for now.
Of course, whether or not this actually affects Malaysians remains to be seen. Historically, Google has never officially introduced their lineup of Pixel smartphones to Malaysia, which is quite a shame as these are actually really good devices. Nevertheless, if you’re planning on getting the upcoming Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro via other methods, just remember that you’ll need a charger too.
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