There's been a lot of focus on what you're not getting when you buy an iPhone 12 this fall — Apple will reportedly not include a charger and wired earbuds with this year's phones. But what about the accessories you will find the first time you open that iPhone 12 box?
It may be small consolation to some iPhone fans, but a Twitter leaker who focuses on Apple news passed on a claim that your iPhone 12 will include a braided USB-C to Lightning charging cable, replacing the standard charging cable that's come with the iPhone for years.
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The claim, retweeted by @L0vetodream, means a small upgrade for iPhone 12 buyers. Braided charging cables are thought to be more durable than standard ones, so this cable should last longer and be less prone to fraying — good news when you're already paying a reported $649 and higher for one of Apple's new phones.
new lighting cable ～ https://t.co/KOlzQ0mwauJuly 14, 2020
It's debatable whether a better charging cable will take the sting out of other accessories being missing in action when the iPhone 12 ships sometime this fall, but that's what most iPhone 12 rumors are pointing, too. Back in May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple wouldn't include wired EarPods with its new phones, while the missing charging block rumor picked up steam in June. A render showing a what the iPhone 12 packaging might look like includes space for the new phone, a charging cable and not much else.
Apple is apparently ditching these accessories as a nod to avoiding e-waste. Most of us already have wired headphones and charging bricks lying around, after all. But cynics have also suggested that leaving these accessories out of the iPhone 12 box will force shoppers to buy their own gear — and Apple sure would like to sell more AirPods and AirPods Pro.
We don't know how solid this rumor of a braided charging cable is, though @L0vetodream is a frequent source of Apple-related rumblings from the amount of RAM expected in the iPhone 12 to the lack of a charger. We'll find out for certain later this fall when the iPhone 12 is expected to arrive with four different models, all of which should offer OLED screens and 5G compatibility.
