Is it true that the iPhone 12 won't get headphones in the box?

Rumor has it that Apple's new iPhone 12 models won't beinclude power adapters or EarPods in the box,

and with the release of iOS 14.2, there is also evidence of these rumors and assumptions.

iPhone 12: with or without headphones?

IOS 14 and earlier versions of iOS mentionsReducing RF Energy Exposure with the “included earbuds,” which is the same wording Apple has used for years.

In iOS 14.2, this wording has been changed. The complete code reads:

To reduce exposure to radio frequency energy, use a speakerphone, such as a built-in speaker, headphones, or other similar accessories.

All previous references to headphones includedthe word “included”, and the deliberate deletion of the word from the new code strongly suggests that Apple has no plans to “ship” headphones with the upcoming iPhone 12 models.

The reference to "included headphones" in iOS 14 is at the top, while the new wording without the word "included" is at the bottom.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said back in May thatThe new iPhone 12 phones won't ship with EarPods in the box, and instead Apple plans to introduce some sort of promotion on AirPods to encourage iPhone buyers to purchase AirPods wireless headphones as well.

There were also rumors that Apple was removing the adapterpower supply from the iPhone 12 box. The removal of the power adapter was all but confirmed when Apple released Apple Watch Series 6 models without the power adapter, but until now we haven't heard much about the potential removal of EarPods from the set.

Apple has been offering headphones for quite some timeEarPods with new iPhones to give customers the ability to listen to music, make calls, and more. But Apple has been aiming to switch to Bluetooth-only headphones since the release of AirPods and the removal of the standard 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone lineup.

The current iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models come withEarPods, which have a Lightning connector to plug into a Lightning port, but it looks like iPhone 11 devices will be the last ones with headphones in the box.

Apple reportedly is removing the power adapter andEarPods out of the iPhone 12 box to cut costs as 5G chips in new devices are expensive. The change will also allow Apple to reduce the size of the iPhone box, while reducing packaging and environmental waste.