Why The Samsung Galaxy S21 Is Sold Without A Charger

Samsung‘s Galaxy S21 series smartphones do not ship with a wall charger. With Apple and Xiaomi having announced their latest smartphones also ship without wall chargers, Samsung is the latest company to join what’s clearly now a trend in the smartphone market. Furthermore, as Apple and Samsung are leaders in this industry, it should be expected that many other manufacturers will follow throughout 2021.

The number of people with access to a cellphone is increasing each year. While the rate of migration to a smartphone will vary by country, in some locations like the U.S., the percentage is extremely high. In these locations, it is probably safe to assume that the same number of people also have a smartphone charger already. In some cases, they may have multiple chargers that are compatible with a newer phone.

When Samsung announced the Galaxy S21 series, it also confirmed there is no wall charger or wired earphones included with the purchase. However, Samsung will still happily sell the accessories to consumers who need them. In a launch FAQ post, Samsung’s Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience Office, Patrick Chomet, explained the decision was made for sustainability reasons and to promote better recycling habits. Chomet goes on to say that Samsung has included standard USB-C charging ports on its Galaxy devices since 2017, so older wall chargers will work with the Galaxy S21. While it is true that previous Galaxy smartphones have USB-C ports, the Galaxy S21 employs the latest fast-charging technology. Therefore, if using the charger that came with the Galaxy S8 or S9, the Galaxy S21 won’t charge as fast as it could. Only Samsung-approved 25-watt and higher USB-C wall chargers will achieve the advertised Super Fast Charging results.

Too Soon To Skip A Wall Charger?

Samsung’s argument for not including a wall charger is valid. Product waste is an important issue that needs to be taken seriously and companies are now looking at ways to limit their contribution to the problem. However, Samsung, and other smartphone manufacturers, could have waited a couple more years before excluding the wall charger as people are now holding on to their smartphones for longer. Due to this, many will only have the traditional USB wall charger.

Although the Galaxy S21 has launched at a cheaper price than the Galaxy S20 did, it does come with a few compromises to help lower the cost. During this transition phase where consumers are still getting used to having no charger in the box, it may have been helpful for Samsung and others to offer a discounted price on the wall charger. After all, not everyone is going to be up to date on Samsung’s changes and are likely to only find out there’s no charger in the box when they get home and unbox their new Galaxy S21.

Source: Samsung

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