#Samsung joins Apple in ditching free chargers with new phones

Apple’s biggest rival is following its lead in not including a power adapter with its upcoming phones.

Samsung will no longer give customers a complimentary charging brick when they buy a new phone beginning next year, according to Korea’s ETNews.

The world’s biggest smartphone maker is making the switch because many customers have power adapters already and the change will help them reduce costs, according to the report.

The news comes just days after Japan’s Nikkei Asian Review confirmed that Apple will not be including a charger or earbuds in the box with this fall’s batch of iPhones.

Apple is reportedly trying to shave costs by reducing the size of its packaging, which will reduce shipping costs. The bulkiest item in the phone’s packaging, besides the device itself, is the 18W power adapter.

Apple is dropping the complimentary pair of earbuds in the new iPhone’s packaging in order to increase demand for its already mega-popular AirPods wireless headphones.