For years, Apple stickers were a discreet symbol of brand loyalty and a distinctive touch for those who bought products from the Californian company. However, 2024 marks the end of an era: Apple has decided to stop including these famous stickers in most of its products, including the latest iPad models, iPhone 16, MacBook Pro, and even its long-awaited mixed reality device, the Vision Pro.
This decision has been confirmed in several recent unboxings and translates into a major change in the shopping experience for many Apple fans.
Apple’s environmental commitment
The official reason behind the removal of Apple Stickers from its products has to do with the company’s ambitious goal of eliminate plastic in the packaging of its products by 2025. This measure is part of a broader environmental commitment that Apple has been strengthening in recent years. By reducing additional materials, such as these adhesives, the company continues to reduce its carbon footprint and moves closer to its goal of achieving completely carbon-neutral production.
Although the measure generates nostalgia and criticism in equal measure, many users recognize that the stickers, although emblematic, served a purely aesthetic function. Removing it from the box allows you to reduce the use of ink and paper, helping sustainability. However, Apple has not completely ruled out the possibility of continuing to give these stickers to users. At least for now, if a customer requests the stickers at the time of purchase at an Apple store, they are likely to be deliveredas long as stock is available. In a way, this gesture keeps the tradition alive, although in a more exclusive, limited and responsible way.
Interestingly, the MacBook Air is the only model that still includes the stickers on its packaging, suggesting that the transition is taking place gradually. Something that could change next year, when the laptop is expected to be updated with the new M4 chip.
Although it may seem like a minor change, Apple Stickers became a kind of “ritual” for many consumers who placed them on their devices, cars, and other objects as a kind of declaration of loyalty. Since their launch in the 1980s along with the company’s first computers, these adhesives have evolved over time and have sometimes been adapted in colors and styles to commemorate special releases.
There are several reasons why Apple could have made this decision right now. Firstly, it responds to a growing market demand for more sustainable policies and simpler packaging, in an effort to reduce environmental impact and optimize the production process. Furthermore, today’s public increasingly values the actions of companies in favor of sustainability, which is why Apple’s gesture becomes more important.
On the other hand, the decision could also be related to a change in consumer behavior, who are increasingly looking less and less to personalize their devices with stickers. The era of apple stickers as an identification symbol may no longer have the same impact, especially for younger generations.
