It looks like a new trend in late 2020 is to ship phones with less stuff in the box. The Apple iPhone 12 is rumored to ship without a charger or wired earbuds in the box, and rumors also point to Samsung considering ditching the charger in the box of a future Galaxy smartphone. We haven't heard rumors of Samsung ditching wired earbuds in the box just yet, which would be a marked departure from the current norm as Samsung Galaxy flagships typically come with high-quality wired earbuds tuned by AKG. However, Samsung's new Galaxy Note 20 series, comprised of the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, don't come with AKG earbuds in North America.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Forums ||| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Forums

Fortunately, it seems that Samsung is more than happy to ship a pair of AKG earbuds to you if you just ask for them, according to PCWorld. All you have to do is contact Samsung support and provide them with proof of purchase for them to ship a pair of the USB-C earbuds your way, apparently free of charge. This offer only applies for Galaxy Note 20 devices sold in North America as these are the only Samsung Galaxy Note phones so far to not come with earbuds in the box. These USB-C earbuds retail for $29.99 on Samsung's website and feature silicone tips, a built-in DAC, 2-way speakers, AKG tuning, and 3-button controls.

Samsung AKG earbuds

So if they are free anyway, then why is Samsung not including them in the box with the Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra in North America? The company says that customers of flagship smartphones in North America generally opt for Bluetooth earbuds anyway, so they removed the wired earbuds from the box since their usage has steadily declined.

Moving forward, wired earbuds likely won't be bundled in the box with future Samsung Galaxy flagships, either. But if you really need them, you can still get them for free. Just be prepared to wait a bit for them to be shipped later on.