The reason why European iPads don’t come with a charger in the box

When Apple announced new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in mid-2024, European users realized there was something wrong with their iPad cases compared to those around the world: the power brick was missing. Although Apple has never addressed this change, it is likely due to the European Commission’s Common Charger Directive, which requires tech companies to only sell devices with a USB-C port in Europe. Instead, consumers are supposed to have the choice to include a charging brick if they need one in order to avoid e-waste.

However, as tensions between the European Commission and Apple intensified, the American company, instead of offering its customers the opportunity to choose between adding a power brick or not, decided to quietly remove it from the box and offer the once-guaranteed accessory as a standalone purchase. Worse still, Apple hasn’t lowered the price of its iPads, meaning that in Europe, getting an iPad and adding a proper power supply costs a few euros more.

Additionally, the change didn’t just affect iPads, but MacBooks as well, as Apple’s laptops no longer include a power brick either. With this in mind, customers have to pay extra for it. In the case of a 14-inch MacBook Pro, customers have to pay $85 more to get a 96W power supply, making these tech products much more expensive than they already are.

While the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive has been available for more than two decades, with information updated over time, recent years have also seen important directives that have changed the behavior of the technology industry. For example, since December 2024, all new mobile phones, tablets and headphones sold in the EU must have a USB-C charging port, while laptops only have to comply since April 2026.

Additionally, by mid-2025, strict new rules applied to the design of smartphones and tablets require them to be more durable, provide clear energy labeling (the iPad Pro has a terrible G label), and ensure that replacement parts, like batteries and displays, will be available for at least seven years. Generally speaking, the European Union wants to ensure that electronic waste can be reduced, while Apple has decided to comply with these legislations in the most Apple way possible: not offering a power supply, even though most users only change laptops and tablets after so many years.

Even though the company could improve the customer experience, it continues to blame the European Commission for not being able to provide new software features due to local legislation. It seems a bit petty to not even offer a simple power supply when the guideline doesn’t say that the company can’t offer a power supply with a new device.