It's time to admit we don't need free chargers with $1,000 phones anymore

Over 130 billion pounds of plastic, wire, rare earth metals, battery chemicals, and other electronics detritus annually .

With more diverse, effective charging solutions than ever, do you need another cheap power adapter to throw away? When smartphones went mainstream around 2013 , every phone used one of two connectors, and every box included a USB power adapter.

Consumers revolted when Apple yanked chargers from iPhone 12 boxes in late 2020 .

$ 50 is a good price for letting Samsung 's first -party power bank get the most out of Galaxy charging.

Even if caught unaware or forgetting, most smartphone newbies can snag an adapter from a friend, family member, or gas station down the street.

The bleeding edge demands mental and financial investment.

Even the most frugal consumers would notice the gulf in performance between bottom-of-the-barrel, bundled earbuds and an entry-level aftermarket pair.

Free chargers died for this. Eventually, markets and hardware matured, power users stepped forward, and average consumers got swept up in the wave. With ever-expanding charging options and straightforward smartphone power monitoring, we no longer need manufacturers to baby us with cheap, in-box freebies.