Some phones are now shipping without a USB charging cable and that could do more harm than good

Date:
Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:48:54 +0000

Description:
The Sony Xperia 10 VII doesn't come with a USB charging cable, and it's
likely other phones will follow suit.

FULL STORY ======================================================================The
Sony Xperia 10 VII is shipping without a USB charging cable This will save Sony money but its environmental impact is less clear It's likely other
brands will start doing the same

In a move that was perhaps inevitable, a phone has now launched without a USB charging cable in the box. That phone the Sony Xperia 10 VII is probably
not one that too many people planned to buy anyway, but it is a notable
shift.

This news came to our attention thanks to Reddit poster Brick_Fish (via Android Authority ), who shared an image of the charger-free box contents on Reddit, along with a photo of the box itself, which has a picture of a cable with a line through it indicating that a charging cable isnt included.

With Sony not putting a cable in the box with this phone, it seems likely
that future Sony Xperia handsets will also ship without a cable and having seen Sony do this, we wouldnt be surprised if other manufacturers follow
suit. (Image credit: Brick_Fish)

After all, for a long time now, most smartphones have shipped without a charging brick, so this move is a logical extension of that approach. On the other hand, Apple was first to drop those, and Sonys decisions probably wont have the same impact.

But as Android Authority points out, Apple itself recently shipped the
AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 without bundled USB cables, so with or without this move from Sony, theres every chance Apple could start shipping iPhones without cables too.

The reasoning for this is presumably much the same as it was with charging bricks namely that electronics have been requiring USB cables for long
enough now that most buyers probably already have a whole nest of them. An environmental and financial impact

As such, they arguably dont need one to be included with new purchases, so by not making and shipping cables, Sony is potentially being more
environmentally friendly as its reducing e-waste.

Of course, while thats the argument, not shipping cables or charging bricks with phones also saves the manufacturers money, and thats likely been the
main factor in them removing charging bricks from boxes, and now in Sonys decision here.

And that might be a better justification ultimately anyway, because the environmental impact of not including charging cables isnt entirely clear
cut.

While not everyone who buys this phone will need to go out and buy a cable
for it, some buyers inevitably will, and that will lead to additional packaging that wouldnt be necessary if the cable were just included in the box.

Plus, as replies to the Reddit post note, those cables that people buy separately may, in many cases, be lower-quality third-party options, which might not perform as well, making them worse for buyers, and they might not last as long, making them worse for the environment too.

So, its unclear whether this is actually a good or bad move for people and
the planet, but its almost certainly a good move for Sonys bank balance and for that reason, its likely other brands will follow suit.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/sony-xperia-phones/some-phones-are-now-shippi ng-without-a-usb-charging-cable-and-that-could-do-more-harm-than-good


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