Aside from a charging cable and some documentation, the new Galaxy S21 series (like the iPhone 12 family) arrive basically all alone in their box. Their wired headphones and wall charger boxmates have disappeared. Both Samsung and Apple cite a reduced impact on the environment as a reason behind their omissions. Who could argue with that? I mean, we could have a much more serious conversation on yearly phone upgrade cycles and their impact on our planet. But let's keep things light for now.
Read more: Check out CNET's Galaxy S21 review and Galaxy S21 Ultra review.
By removing items like headphones and power adapters, both Apple and Samsung will undoubtedly save money on material costs, manufacturing, packaging, labor and shipping. But unlike a local discount mattress outlet, it's hard to tell if either company is passing those savings onto you.
It's smart for both companies to scale back like this. But it does feel like they're removing the parsley garnish off of the dinner plate and bragging about how much lighter it is. Are there ways to make fewer phones? Or for the companies to upgrade phone models less frequently? That's where the real meat and potatoes are. Again, I don't mean to get too serious.
But like the seasons changing, we have another launch of an entirely new lineup of phones that replace models that came out less than a year ago. Earlier this month, the new Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra were announced. Samsung cut US prices for each phone by $200. But that's not the only thing the company cut. Wired headphones (which Samsung stopped including with the Galaxy Note 20 launch) and a wall charger are no longer included in the boxes for the new phones.
We could debate the financial, environmental and societal motivations behind these omissions. But what makes this all the more rich was last year Samsung had a post on Facebook that mocked Apple for not including a charger with the iPhone 12. Curiously enough, that post was removed.
See also
What's in the box for the Galaxy S21?
Aside from the Galaxy S21 (or S21 Plus or S21 Ultra), here is what's included in the box:
- A USB-C cable
- A printed setup guide and instructions
- A SIM card tool