Top analyst has good news about next year's Apple iPhone models
If the latest rumor about the 2021 Apple iPhone models is true, the iPhone 13 series might be sent to you in a manila envelope. That's a joke, although it is true that Apple has been removing accessories from the box. For the currently available iPhone 12 line, the first iPhone models that support 5G, the company removed from the box the power adapter (lovingly referred to as "the brick"). It also took the wired EarPods out of the box as well. This means that if you want the fastest charging speeds for the new models, you'll have to head over to the online Apple Store and shell out $19.00.
Apple will revert to one release date for all four iPhone 13 models says top analyst
Apple says that it is making these moves for environmental reasons as the size of the box will be reduced allowing up to 70% more product to fit on a pallet. Apple has said that it has a goal to be 100% carbon neutral by 2030 and fitting more product on a pallet will result in the release of fewer emissions into the environment. Those more conspiratorial thinkers believe that Apple is dropping the battery adapter and EarPods in order to save money on the production of the first 5G iPhone models. Eventually, all iPhones (including older models still available) and some other products will lose some of the accessories that used to be found in the box. Right now, Apple is still including a charger with the iPad Pro.
Want the fastest charging for the iPhone 12 line? You'll need to purchase this 20W charger from Apple for $19
Is Apple done removing accessories from iPhone boxes? Possibly not according to some iPhone 12 owners. Last summer, Apple sent out a survey to iPhone users asking them how often they use the charger that came in the box with their iPhone. The results of the survey might have helped Apple decide to remove the charger from the box this year. But now, Apple has disseminated a new survey asking about users' experiences with Face ID and whether they use the USB cable that comes in the box with their new iPhone purchase. This leads us to believe that Apple might be looking to drop the USB cable from next year's iPhone boxes. And that could require buyers to pay another $19 to buy one.
The survey also asks the user if he/she is satisfied with Face ID. If the answer is no, the respondent is asked to give reasons why by selecting from among the following responses:
- Security or privacy concerns
- I don’t like having to pick up my phone to use Face ID
- Slow performance
- It does not detect my face in all situations (such as low light, different angles, lying down, wearing sunglasses)
- I prefer Touch ID
- Not reliable; does not always unlock the iPhone
- Other
- Not sure
There is speculation that the iPhone 13 series will be equipped with both Face ID and Touch ID (under display, perhaps?). With the recently released fourth-generation iPad Air, Apple moved the Touch ID sensor to a spot inside the power button on the top of the slate. This allowed Apple to reduce the size of the bezels on the tablet without having to add Face ID into the design of the product.
There is some good news for iPhone fans coming from a memo to clients written by TF International Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to Kuo, the mass production schedule for 2021's iPhone 13 series will be more along the lines of previous iPhone releases prior to the iPhone 12 lineup. This year, the global pandemic played havoc with the schedule as some suppliers were forced to shut down for some brief periods of time. As a result, Apple used staggered release dates this year with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro both available starting on October 23rd. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max were both released on November 13th. If Ming is right (and those are usually wasted words since he is usually correct), we should expect Apple to ship all for iPhone 13 models on the same date next year.
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