A leaker with a solid track-record has backed reports that the iPhone 12 will ship with no charger or EarPods, reducing costs for Apple and enabling the new phones to ship in a much slimmer box.

The new iPhone 12 packaging is said to be ‘exquisite’ …

The report comes from the Twitter account @L0vetodream, which correctly predicted the iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard and iPhone SE launches several months ahead.

The suggestion that Apple would exclude EarPods from the iPhone 12 box was first made by Ming-Chi Kuo, another source with a decent track-record. The analyst did, however, hedge by saying that they ‘may’ not be included.

Kuo’s own sources are in Apple’s supply-chain, and may reflect reduced orders for the entry-level in-ear headphones. Another analyst backed this, again based on supply-chain reports.

While some suggested that this was intended to boost sales of AirPods, I’m not personally convinced.

A separate Kuo report then said that Apple would also be omitting the charger from the box.

I personally think that would be a step too far, and most readers agree. However, if this latest report is correct, then Apple disagrees.

A conflicting report had suggested that the iPhone 12 might actually ship with a better charger, but it now seems the 20W one seen in photos may simply be destined for sale as an optional accessory.

It remains unclear whether or not Apple will launch this year’s iPhones in September, or whether the keynote presentation will be delayed.