The Samsung Galaxy S30 could copy one of the iPhone 12's most controversial and rumored changes by shipping without a charger. And while it sounds frustrating, there are several good reasons why Samsung is considering this.

News of Samsung's potential plans comes from ETNews (via TechRadar), which quotes an "industry source" as saying: "Samsung Electronics is talking to related companies about ways to remove chargers from smartphone components.

The reason for this is quite simple: the majority of users already have USB-C chargers, so removing USB-C chargers from all new phone boxes would mean less e-waste and a slight reduction in the price of the phone. Since the charger is not an expensive component, it would not be a significant price reduction. However, given that flagship model phones now typically cost $1,000 or more, we are willing to take any discount.

This will apparently apply to "some models to be released next year". Perhaps Samsung will implement this change gradually, as they foresee that this will be a very unpopular move. For example, it may target only certain classes of models, such as the budget Galaxy A series, where the discounts will be most pronounced. On the other hand, the Galaxy S30 and other premium flagships may be boxed empty, as existing cables are likely to be on hand.

Many potential customers will already own USB-C chargers, but differences in manufacturers' fast charging speeds may be an issue. To get the best charging performance from a new phone, they will usually need their own charger, which means that new customers will have to pay for optimal charging speeds.

Apple is also rumored to exclude both chargers and wired headphones EarPods from the iPhone 12, but there are further complications with this move. Because Apple uses its own Lightning connector, those who want to switch from an Android phone to an iPhone will need to set aside more money for a charger. That said, Apple is said to be planning to move to wireless charging only with the iPhone 13, and since the Qi wireless standard is nearly universal with 1st and 3rd party chargers, perhaps the difficulties of wired charging can be offset by focusing on wireless charging instead.

The Galaxy S30 (if this is indeed Samsung's name) will not appear until February 2021 at the earliest. In the meantime, Samsung is likely to announce both the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Fold 2 at the Galaxy Unpacked event on August 5. As far as we know, both the stylus-equipped phablet and foldable phone come with Samsung's standard 25W charger, so you'll be able to buy them without worrying about having no means of power supply.