iPhone 12 Will Include EarPods in France

Apple decided that the iPhone 12 would be the first of its smartphones to launch without EarPods and a charger included in the box. However, there's one country where it can't remove the EarPods for fear of breaking the law.

As MacRumors reports, France insists that every mobile phone includes some form of hands-free kit or headset in a bid to protect children aged under 14 years old from exposure to electromagnetic waves. Failure to do so results in a criminal fine of 75,000 euros. With that in mind, Apple will ship the iPhone 12 in France with EarBuds and a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box. There won't be a charger, though.

Apple also decided to remove the EarBuds and charger from the iPhone 11, iPhone XR, and iPhone SE, but the same concession will need to be made for those handsets in France. It's surely a headache for Apple due to the extra packaging and weight involved, but France has a population of over 66 million people, so it's definitely worth the effort for the company.

It's hoped existing chargers, earphones, and headphones will be used by consumers purchasing a new iPhone, but Apple also opted to reduce the price of the EarPods and the 20W power adapter by $10 each. The new MagSafe chargers are sure to be popular, and you can bet Apple will be putting a lot of marketing dollars behind them to encourage further purchases.

The iPhone 12 starts at $699 for the iPhone 12 mini, $799 for the standard iPhone 12, $999 for the iPhone 12 Pro, and $1,099 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will be available to pre-order first on Oct. 16 and delivered on Oct. 23. Anyone wanting an iPhone 12 mini will have to wait until Nov. 6 to place a pre-order and Nov. 13 for delivery. The iPhone 12 Pro Max won't go up for pre-order until Nov. 13 before launching Nov. 20.

Posted in: Cell Phone