The Google Pixel 6 won’t include a charger because who really needs another charging brick

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Google has joined the growing group of phone manufacturers that are no longer including a charging brick with their handsets.

That makes the Google Pixel 5a 5G the last Google handset to come with an in-box charging brick, with the expectation that the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro won’t be coming with a USB-C charger in the box.

Google confirmed this to The Verge, saying that “most people already have a USB-C charging brick, so there’s no longer a need to include one with its phones.” That’s probably true, at least for people in the richer countries in the world.

It’s not going to be long before no mobile devices get sold with an included charging brick. Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi have all committed to not including chargers in their respective handsets already.

Like Google, all of the other manufacturers say it’s in an attempt to reduce e-waste, as most people already have a USB-C charger in their homes.

It’s also likely a cost-saving measure, as the price of all of those chargers adds up over the large quantities of handsets sold. Each of the previously-included USB-C wall chargers cost at least $20 to buy separately from their respective manufacturers’ stores, so hold on to any chargers you already have.

The decision to remove chargers from the box hasn’t been a smooth transition in all countries though. Earlier this year, Brazil fined Apple $50 million dollars for “misleading advertising, selling a device without the charger and unfair terms.”

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.