We've already heard a bunch of rumours about the iPhone 16, which we presume Apple will launch in September 2024. But while nothing of what we have heard can is guaranteed to be fact so far, there is one thing that we can probably be sure of: the iPhone 16 will not include a plug nor a set of headphones in the box.
But it wasn't that long ago, that such items were routinely included. Over on the former Twitter, fans are forlornly recalling the days when an iPhone unboxing was a true experience... the days "when Apple cared".
y’all remember when apple used to take care of us? pic.twitter.com/IKfxjFJ25IMarch 6, 2024
"Y’all remember when Apple used to take care of us?" someone called Lyn asked on X. The responses show that people do remember, and they're bitter. 'Those were the days," someone whistfully recalled. "Now we take care of them," someone else suggested. "Very soon they'd start selling they phones with no chargers," one person complained. "Next thing yk we gon have to build the phones ourselves," was another prediction, while one person suggested "If y'all stopped buying every time they took something , maybe they would still be 'taking care of us'."
It seems Apple's decision to stop packing accessories is still a cause of resentment among some customers, but it doesn't seem to have hurt iPhone sales too badly. Of course, there are arguments for not including plugs and headphones. It is wasteful if you already have them, and removing them may have allowed Apple to keep price rises below inflation in recent years. But logically, Apple is also keen to sell AirPods (see below).
