We hope you have a bunch of old chargers stashed somewhere, because you’re going to need them.
The Verge reports that Google’s upcoming new flagship smartphones, the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro, will ship without a charger in the box — just like Apple’s latest iPhones and Samsung’s top flagships.
These phones should not be confused with Google’s Pixel 5a, which launched yesterday, and which comes with a charger in the box. In fact, Google says the Pixel 5a will probably be the last phone it ships with one.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, coming later this year, will have a completely new design, and will run on Tensor, Google’s first custom chip for smartphones.
The Verge says that the reasoning behind Google’s decision — which is very similar to what Samsung and Apple said when they made the same decision — is that most people already have a USB-C charger, meaning there’s no need to include a new one with their phones.
While this may be true, it might not sit well with users who do not have an extra USB-C charger; also, it disregards the fact that chargers and phones change over time, meaning that your old charger may be charging your new phone very slowly. On the flip side, it is probably true that not shipping millions of unneeded chargers with phones is good for the environment.
