iPhone 11, XR, and SE No Longer Come With EarPods and Power Adapter But USB-C to Lightning Cable Included

Apple's new iPhone 12 models don't come with EarPods or a power adapter in the box in order to save on packaging materials to reduce environmental impact, and following today's event, Apple has removed the power adapter and EarPods from the box for all other ‌iPhone‌ models as well.

iphonesewhatsinthebox
As was rumored this morning, the ‌iPhone‌ 11, XR, and SE will no longer be shipped with power adapters or EarPods, much like the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models. This will allow Apple to use new, slimmer packaging.

All of the ‌iPhone‌ models will, however, come with a USB-C to Lightning cable, an upgrade from the standard USB-A to Lightning cable that used to be included.

Despite rumors that Apple would introduce a Lightning cable with a braided design, that did not happen, and iPhones new and old ship with a standard Apple-designed rubber USB-C to Lightning cable.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...

Top Rated Comments

eneisch Avatar
67 months ago
This was a little weird to me. They get rid of the USB A cable, but most iPhone users have more USB A iPhone charging cubes then have USB C charging cubes.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IsaacM Avatar
67 months ago
Let me get this straight:

- they removed USB A charger because "customers already own it" and they wanna save the planet
- then they proceed to ship the phone with a USB C cable.


???
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFan782040 Avatar
67 months ago
Apple: "We care about the environment and the billions of cables and chargers out there."

Also Apple: "Everything is USB-C now so you're gonna have to replace that cable and charger you already have."
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
67 months ago
They should've included a USB-C to A Dongle with all models.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Andres Cantu Avatar
67 months ago
Great, now we’ll have to order those separately at our work. Thanks Apple, passing the costs to businesses.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
67 months ago
"..in order to save on packaging materials to reduce environmental impact"

Another way to reduce the environmental impact is to stop millions of previous-generations iPhones from being thrown into a land fill every year from Apple needing to feed their voracious corporate income monster with new phone models every 12 months.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)