Apple Screwed Up Its Marketing with the iPhone 12 Pricing

With the launch of iPhone 12, Apple follows Samsung in no longer providing a charger and cable with their phones. The marketing speak used to justify this is that it reduces electronic waste and is thus good for the environment.

Yet, many are pissed at this move and expressed their consternation online in many forums either directly or sarcastically.

This negative publicity is partly justified as any new iPhone owner will obviously not have a charger or cable and are being forced to shell extra for accessories that has been standard with every new phone. Even old iphone owners may not have the new charger - cable combo. So they rightly feel justified in their irritation that they are being forced to shell out more, to increase Apple's profit margin.

Apple could have avoided this negativity with a small change in its pricing and marketing.

It should have just included the cost of the cable and charger in the final iPhone 12 pricing. And then marketed that the cable and charger was optional, and those who didn't want it could get the iPhone 12 for a lesser price (minus the cost of the charger and cable). (It wouldn't have made any difference to the logistics.)

This would have actually better reinforced the marketing of this being an environmentally conscious move. And even delighted some new buyers not opting for the charger and cable (who would assume they are getting some discount, and would more readily believe they made a small contribution in protecting the environment)

Right now, Apple is busy firefighting the current narrative of "greedy" Apple everywhere.