Apple says it will no longer include USB power adapters with Apple Watch, citing environmental concerns; Titanium and Hermes models appear to include adapter
9to5MacBenjamin Mayo
Context & Ripple Effects
This Watch announcement is the dress rehearsal for the bigger move everyone saw coming: weeks earlier, Ming-Chi Kuo had reported Apple would strip the charger from the iPhone 12 box and sell a 20W adapter separately (Kuo's June report). Dropping it from the Watch first gives Apple an established 'environmental' framing before the higher-volume iPhone change lands — which it did within a month, when the iPhone 12 lineup shipped without EarPods or power adapters across four models.
The wrinkle is that Titanium and Hermes models appear to still include the adapter, which cuts against a purely environmental rationale and suggests the premium tiers are insulated from the box-content squeeze. The same playbook resurfaced years later when Apple extended its materials story to bands and packaging with the FineWoven leather replacement and a plastic-packaging phase-out.
First-order effects
Buyers of standard Apple Watch models now need a separate USB power adapter purchase (or reuse of an existing one), while Titanium and Hermès buyers keep the included adapter — a two-tier unboxing at the moment of sale.
Second-order effects
The after-market gains a guaranteed demand pool: every Watch and upcoming iPhone 12 sold without a charger feeds third-party accessory makers and Apple's own separately-sold 20W adapter business.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, in-box accessories become a recurring cost-and-carbon line item Apple can trim model by model — culminating in the packaging and materials overhauls of later years — with box contents shifting from bundled goods to upsell inventory.
The trend: Apple is systematically converting bundled in-box accessories into separately sold products, using environmental framing as the stated driver across Watch, iPhone, and packaging.
Looks like the Apple Watch titanium and Hermes models still have the power adapter. So the more expensive versions keep it. Makes it seem like its less of an an environment thing and more cost-driven.
Apple launching cellular Apple Watch features in the UK with Truphone, an MVNO, not a primary carrier. I remember when that would have been a huge deal - now it's a footnote.
Apple: “We take environmental responsibility very seriously.” Also Apple: “Here is a new Apple Watch Solo Loop that we produce in 21 different sizes.” #AppleEvent
They also, as expected, have just announced they're removing the USB power adapter from Apple Watch packaging. In the environmental section. You can bet that's the angle for when they remove it from the iPhone box too.
This year we are removing USB power adapter from Apple Watch. Will result in eliminating 50,000 cars carbon equivalent from environment. (Start arguing about USB power adapter deletion now!)
No USB charger for new Apple Watches. Apple's Lisa Jackson packages this news in the context of its environmental efforts, which is fair, but also seems to duck the issue a bit. #AppleWatch
Apple no longer including a power adapter with a new Apple watch - and celebrating it as a way to reduce carbon footprint with duplicate adapters (!) Seems a certainty they'll do the same with the new phone in a few weeks