“Removal of Phone Charger Was My Idea”: Xiaomi CEO Jun Lei

Xiaomi’s CEO Jun Lei said during a livestream that the removal of the in-box phone charger with its new flagship Mi 11 was the implementation of an original idea he had five years ago, rather than following Apple’s practice with its iPhone 12.

“Five years ago, I came up with this idea when I saw a full drawer of chargers,” Lei said. “A year ago, we had to throw away boxes of chargers, and I think that was so wasteful.”

Before the official launch of its latest flagship Mi 11, Xiaomi’s announcement of the removal of an in-box charger caused a backlash. Eventually, the Xiaomi Mi 11 was launched with two packaging options, one with an in-box charger and charging cord and the other without. The two versions are priced the same, allowing users to choose according to their needs.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Removes In-box Charger with Upcoming Mi 11

Xiaomi said the removal was intended to promote environmental protection.

This year, the iPhone maker set a precedent when Apple fans found out that the latest iPhone 12 series didn’t come with an in-box charger. Following the iPhone 12 series, it has been confirmed that Samsung’s new Galaxy lineup, namely the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra, will also remove its in-box chargers.