Apple‘s decision to leave out the charging adapter from the iPhone 12 retail box continues to be a controversial topic. We have seen several memes surrounding it, one we find hilarious suggest by 2030 Apple will ship only a retail box, leaving pout the smartphone because we already have one. Several OEMs have also capitalized on the issue to troll Apple, including Samsung, and Xiaomi Spain.
We unboxed the #Mi10TLite – Atlantic Blue variant 😎 You'll get all the essentials, just with less plastic waste. Starting in Europe, we've committed to reducing plastic packaging by about 60%. 🌏 pic.twitter.com/ai1yq3YR92
— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) October 20, 2020
Away from jokes and trolling, Xiaomi has committed to reducing the plastic it uses on its packaging by up to 60% and this will start in Europe. The firm seems to have swung into action in this regard as the Mi 10T Lite looks to be the first phone that it will be implemented on.
The retail box of today contains less plastic than a couple of years back as manufacturers try to reduce the cost of production. Xiaomi’s posture which is aimed at conserving the planet but you will still find all the accessories the Chinese tech giant usually ships with its smartphones such as the charger, USB-C cable and even the TPU case. The Mi 10 Lite which was launched earlier this year in Europe featured these accessories inside the retail box.
Overall, this can’t be said to be a drastic commitment towards environmental conservation compared to Apple’s stance. After all, the retail boxes are most times useless the moment we unbox the smartphone Moreover, the retail boxes are mostly made from carton. Thus, this could be another attempt at grabbing some publicity riding on the shoulders of Apple’s controversial decision. 
Recall that when Apple removed the 3.5mm audio jack from the iPhones, it generated this kind of controversy but subsequently, other OEMs also followed suit by dishing the headphone jack in favour of a USB-C port. Some fans are yet to get around with that decision and it will be even more difficult to remove the adapter for companies like Xiaomi whose flagships have up to 100W wired and 80W wireless charging support. Apple’s 20W USB Power Delivery adapters are pretty easy to come by than the 100W adapters.
UP NEXT: POCO C3 for Rs 7,499 (~$102) brings 6.53-inch display, Helio G35, 13MP triple cameras and 5,000mAh battery
