Google's Pixel 6 smartphone won't come with a charger in the box

Google announced the Pixel 6 a couple of weeks ago, but a new report has revealed the firm's upcoming Android flagship won't ship with a charger. 

According to The Verge, Google believes that most people already have at least one USB-C charger so "there’s no longer a need to include one" with its phones. The Pixel 5a, which was unveiled yesterday with a headphone socket and huge battery, will be the last Google smartphone to ship with a charger in the box.

The move echoes Apple's 2020 decision to stop including chargers and earbuds with its iPhones. Samsung made a similar announcement in January, saying it would "gradually" remove chargers and earbuds from future phones, beginning with the Samsung Galaxy S21. 

Ditching chargers makes sense from both an environmental and business perspective. It's a good way to tackle e-waste and minimal packaging means more products can be crammed into one shipping container, which saves on fuel.

Apple, for example, claimed that dropping chargers from the iPhone and Apple Watch would be the equivalent of removing half a million fossil fuel-powered cars from the road each year.

Bidding farewell to chargers and earbuds also creates cost savings that (sometimes, not always) get passed onto the consumer. It's also a great excuse to partner your shiny new smartphone with a pair of the best wireless headphones on the market.

Apple actually indicated that it cut the price of the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch after removing the charger from the box, but Google hasn't confirmed whether this will affect the Pixel 6 price.

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