When you unbox Apple's new iPhone 12, you will notice the box is a bit lighter than expected. That's because Apple will not ship the brand new phone with headphones or a charging adapter.
Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said that the tech company is trying to reduce waste and pointed out that consumers have already purchased more than two billion power adapters, which can still be used to charge the new phone. The phone will also support wireless charging, eliminating the need for a power adapter to charge the phone.
"Removing these items also means a smaller, lighter iPhone box," Jackson said. "We can fit up to 70% more items on a shipping pallet," reducing shipping emissions.
There will be four versions of the iPhone 12, which will be available on October 23. The standard model will retail for $799, while a mini version will be available for $699. The iPhone 12 Pro will start at $999, and the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max will sell for $1,099. Apple will begin taking pre-orders on the new phones on October 16.
The new iPhones include 5G capability along with an upgraded XDR display that is made from a tough new material dubbed "Ceramic Shield," a new A14 Bionic six-core CPU, and a four-core GPU.
The biggest difference between the standard iPhone and the Pro model, other than screen size, is the camera. The iPhone Pro has a 6.1-inch display, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display, and they both come equipped with an extra telephoto lens and bigger camera sensors. They also have a LIDAR scanner that is capable of creating 3D scans of rooms, which can be used to help the camera focus quicker. The scanner can also be used to improve the phones' augmented reality functionality.
"Every decade, there's a new generation of technology that provides a step-change in what we can do with our iPhones," Apple CEO Tim Cook said. "This is a huge moment for all of us."
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