Microsoft is now charging users extra if they want a Surface Pro 11 with a charger in the box. Now, by default, the Surface Pro 11 ships in a slimmer box and no power adapter in the EU. This quiet change follows the recent trend of reducing e-waste and slimming down packages for more efficient deliveries. However, this only affects customers in the European Union.
While this environmental initiative won't affect customers who already have powerful enough chargers at home (the Surface Pro 11 uses a 65W charger and charges via USB-C) or adapters with the Surface Connect port, it's bad luck for first-time buyers. Now, in Europe, the Surface Pro 11 is 90 EUR ($98) more expensive if the buyer wants the tablet with a charger.
If you live in Europe and you want a Surface Pro 11 now, Microsoft is offering a generous 50% discount on the charger: 45 EUR ($49) instead of 90 EUR. Of course, Microsoft could have made the charger a free option (it is not mandated to charge users for a power supply unit), but the company decided to go the opposite way.
Here is how Microsoft explains the new option to include or not include a charger in the box:
To support EU initiatives to reduce e-waste, the power supply is now sold separately.
Microsoft is not the only manufacturer that no longer ships its tablets with chargers in the EU. Apple and Samsung also charge extra for power adapters for their tablets and smartphones to comply with regulations. However, the EU's mandate to reduce e-waste does not currently include laptops, so the Surface Laptop 7 and laptops from other manufacturers, including Apple, still ship with bundled chargers.
Via Windows Central
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