Weekly poll results: accessories matter

People want a solid bundle when they buy a new phone - nearly half of voters expect a good quality charger and headphones to come in the box. That is for high-end phones, of course, low-cost handsets can squeak by with a basic package, but expensive phones have to justify their cost.

Some - a third of voters - go even further, they want to get a additional extras. History shows that a solid bundle is a good way to draw in a crowd. We remember the Nokia 5800, which came with a whole sack of goodies, but bundles can be strategic too. Samsung paired its Galaxy flagships with a Gear VR headset, which increased interest in the phone but also made Samsung one of the biggest VR players.

There’s a second school of thought too - skip the accessories to keep the price low. Paradoxically, there are two polar opposite reasons for this. One is simple - just saving money. The other involves spending more money. This is especially true for headphones - any money saved on the phone can go towards high-end cans. If makers are kind enough to give you a headphone jack, naturally.