iPhone 12 devices are probably not coming with earbuds included in the box

iOS 14.2 beta removes mention of ‘included’ earbuds in iPhone box ahead of iPhone 12 launch.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro (Apple)

Ever since Apple announced that they are removing the power adapter from the Apple Watch box this year, rumours have been rife about Apple not including the charger or EarPods with the iPhone 12 devices. With iOS 14.2 beta 2, which has been rolled out to developers today, Apple has dropped hints that these rumours are possibly true.

iOS has a radio frequency disclaimer within the Settings app which comes with some safety warnings regarding how the user must use the device and the included accessories.

9to5Mac reports, also noted by MacRumours, that iOS 14.2 comes with a new version of this file that mentions only “headphones” and not “supplied headphones” indicating that Apple is going to release a new iPhone that does not come with EarPods.

Just before the iOS 14.2 beta 2 rolled in, the RF Exposure menu mentioned -

“To reduce exposure to RF energy, use a hands-free option, such as the built-in speakerphone, the supplied headphones, or other similar accessories.”

Post the latest update, it reads - “To reduce exposure to RF energy, use a hands-free option, such as the built-in speakerphone, headphones, or other similar accessories.”

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first to suggest that Apple is not going to include EarPods in the iPhone 12 box to boost AirPod sales and this was corroborated by tipster @Lovetodream. The tipster had also added that the wall charger will be removed from the box and this would apply not only to the new iPhone 12 devices, but to other iPhone models as well, like the iPhone SE.

The Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE don't come with the charger in the box with just the USB cable instead. Apple had mentioned during their ‘Time Flies' event that not including the charger in the box was a way to protect the environment since most users already have a compatible charger.