Apple has confirmed it no longer provides customers with complimentary EarPods in the box with every iPhone sold in France, citing the environmental benefits of having a thinner iPhone box thanks to the lack of a charger and earphones.
In an update on Apple's French website, the company no longer states that EarPods will be included in the box for any of its iPhones. Apple now lists only the iPhone itself and a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Earlier in the month, notices posted by French carriers indicated that starting January 24, Apple would no longer include EarPods in the box with iPhones sold in France. Under previous French law, Apple was lawfully obligated to include EarPods in the box based on the precautionary principle, because the risks of exposing developing brains to electromagnetic waves are not clearly known.
Newly passed law in the country no longer requires that smartphones makers such as Apple and Samsung include headphones in the box. Instead, they must ensure compatible headphones are available separately as an optional accessory.
Apple removed EarPods and the power adapter from all iPhone boxes starting with the iPhone 12 in 2020. Apple's decision has been controversial in several countries, with the tech giant facing a fine of $2 million in Brazil.
Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October.
There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose.
Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone.
iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account.
In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times.
The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said.
While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by Juli Clover
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio.
MacBook Air (Early 2026)
The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen.
Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Cut to an overly produced clip of some environmental czar/VP standing near some solar panels on top of the empty Apple Offices saying how great this is.
While I get and don’t necessarily disagree. It does sting when items are removed with no reduction of price.
When Apple sells 200 million iPhones every year... that's 200 million pairs of EarPods that they would need to include in every box.
And I bet most of those EarPods never get used or even taken out of the box. That's what Apple is trying to prevent.
If they don't need to manufacture 200 million pairs of EarPods every year... those factories could possibly be used to make something else that people do want. Who knows.
As for removing items but keeping the price the same... we simply don't know Apple's costs for components.
Maybe the $1 or $2 reduction from removing the EarPods from the box is offset by a $1 or $2 increase in cost of some other component.
Who knows. I honestly don't care.
I've already spent more time typing this comment than I ever spent worrying about the included EarPods.
Now excuse me... I've got to organize my drawer of dozens of MicroUSB cables that came with every little gadget I've ever purchased...
Curious to know how much it cost Apple to have the VP stand up on the roof. Pretty sure they had to use some sort of a crane ??
I don’t know a modern building that doesn’t provide easy walkable access to the roof. (Though, many are secured by locks… nothing I know about, of course, just from what a friend told me). :)
