O2 UK mobile subscribers might be the first ones ever in the world to get brand new phones without bundled chargers if a new pilot scheme to be conducted in cooperation with phone maker HTC turns out to be a success. According to O2 UK CEO Ronan Dunne, retailers and manufacturers have an ever-greater responsibility to be a more sustainable industry in light of the world's current environment-related problems. To that end, a future HTC flagship handset will be sold only with a USB charging cable in the box, something that other phone makers and carriers from around the world are hopefully going to start doing as well.
What Else You Need To Know
- A new phone without a bundled wall charger may seem like it doesn't make sense at first, but in today's world, where USB ports are just as ubiquitous as wall outlets, it's not a bad proposition.
Other sources
Peer into the drawers of the average gadget addict and you’re sure to find a tangled mess of unused chargers gathering dust. Mobile phones are a prime offender in creating redundant gadget junk, with new models released every few months to drive upgrades.- Natasha Lomas, Mobile Crunch
- Electronista
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Future O2 UK, HTC handset to sell without charger
O2 and HTC will sell a future phone without the charger bundled in the box.
- Other
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O2 will sell HTC's next smartphone without a charger
According to additional data from the carrier, 70 percent of the 30 million customers that buy new phones each year already have the relevant charger for their handset.
- Expert Reviews
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O2 and HTC seek to ditch the mains adapter
Future phones to come with just a micro-USB cable.
- Geeky Gadgets
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UK Mobile Carrier O2 Will Sell HTC’s Next Smartphone Without A Charger
The apparent reason that HTC and O2 have decided not to include a charger with the handset is that around 70 percent of people who buy a new smartphone already have a compatible charger.
- Phone Arena
- O2 to launch new HTC smartphone without a wall charger, says most people don't need one
- Mobile Crunch
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Charger Not Included: U.K. Carrier O2 To Sell HTC Phone With USB Cable But No Plug
O2 reckons the time is right to introduce a charger-less phone because the majority of phone sales are upgrades — rather than people buying their very first mobile phone.
- Omio
- O2 to stop selling phones with chargers
- TechRadar
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Exclusive: O2 confirms new flagship HTC smartphone
We also posed the question whether the removal of the charger from the box will lead to a reduction in cost of the overall product, but it doesn't look like this will be the case.
- TechRadar
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O2 hints at new flagship HTC smartphone
O2 has hinted it will be ranging a new, top-end HTC smartphone before the end of the year, and the handset will come without a charger in the box.
- Engadget
- O2 to sell upcoming HTC smartphone without a wall charger, says it's part of a 'simple vision'
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