Starting this year, the iPhone no longer comes with wired earphones and chargers, and if a new survey is to go by, even the USB-C-to-Lightning cable is on its way out.
This is suggested by a new 9to5Mac report, which says Apple is currently surveying iPhone 12 owners, probably to prepare them for the changes that are coming next year.
One of the questions asks users if they are dissatisfied with Face ID for reasons such as:
- 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
This adds weight to rumors that suggest the iPhone 13 will feature both Face ID and Touch ID. Chances are that the fingerprint reader would be buried within the screen. With no end in sight for the pandemic, it makes all the sense to bring back the fingerprint scanner with the next iteration of the iPhone.
Moving on, the survey also attempts to find out which of the (remaining) items bundled with the iPhone do consumers actually use. The current lineup ships with a SIM ejection tool, Apple stickers, and the aforementioned USB cable.
Earlier this year, the Cupertino giant had sent out a similar survey asking people what they do with their chargers, and later ended up removing power adapters from the iPhone box.
Apple’s line of reasoning is that there are already many chargers and earbuds out there, and it doesn’t need to add to electronic waste by producing more. Samsung is surely taking notes, as a recent regulatory filing suggests that the forthcoming Galaxy S21 also wouldn’t ship with a charger.
Survey snapshots
