Samsung to stop bundling chargers with phones next year, report says

Samsung will stop bundling chargers with its smartphones, starting in 2021.

This is according to an ETnews report (source in Korean), which cites industry sources. The reasoning behind the move is the fact that most users already have a USB-C charger lying around. It would also save Samsung some money, offsetting some of the additional cost of pricy 5G components that are becoming the standard on new phones.

The report claims Samsung is talking to partners on how exactly it should go about the move, as it's likely to affect companies that supply the chargers for Samsung. It's also likely that Samsung will initially drop the charger from certain models only.

The news comes shortly after a report that Apple will stop bundling a charger with its phones, starting with the iPhone 12.

Not getting a charger with a new smartphone likely won't affect most users very much, and it has the positive effect of reducing the amount of unnecessary trash generated.

Still, an old charger may not provide the best charging speed for your new phone, and having to pay for a fast charger separately will certainly irk some buyers. Whether Samsung offers some extra value to phone buyers in a different way — perhaps via a coupon or some other extras included in the box — remains to be seen.