The HTC One is to become the first flagship handset to come boxed without a charger, network provider O2 has revealed.
An expansion of the network’s environmental ‘Chargers out of the box’ campaign which is looking to cut down on unnecessary components, O2 has revealed that the HTC One will not feature a complimentary charging unit, instead coming packaged only with a USB to microUSB cable.
A move that will see users forced to reuse their existing USB hosting charging units, those snapping up the HTC One on O2 who do not already own such a unit will be able to pick up a standalone charger in-store or online at a reduced price.
With as many as 100 million unused chargers currently doing the rounds, O2 has suggested that its ‘Chargers out of the box’ initiative could eliminate up to 30 million unnecessary chargers per year, an environmental saving of 18,700 tonnes of materials. During a recent trial period, O2 revealed that 82 per cent of customers buying charger-less handsets did not need to fork out for a separate unit.
“The trial we have run over the past six months has given us the confidence that customers are ready to buy phones without chargers – to the point where O2 and HTC were prepared to apply this initiative to one of this year’s biggest handset launches,” Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2 said.
“By ensuring that we have the right support and information for customers in our stores and on our website, the vast majority are willing to consider and respond to our environmental argument for taking a phone without the charger.”
Whilst some consumers might feel irked by the lack of a boxed charger, and others question if the cost savings are being passed on, O2 has revealed that it intends to offer all phones charger free by 2015.
Speaking on the move to offer the HTC One without a charger, Philip Blair, the Taiwanese manufacturer’s Head of EMEA said: “Alongside O2, we have undertaken a really significant piece of consumer education. With so many chargers already in circulation, it’s important to remind customers to consider using the charging units and mains adapters that they already own.
“Applying this scheme to the launch of our flagship handset demonstrates how passionately we feel about this initiative, as well as our collective goal to reduce the amount of waste caused by unnecessary and unused chargers across the UK.”
