I think the point is that it is 2020. Most people won't have to buy it.
Power adapters that use a USB connector have been commonly included with a large fraction of consumer devices for at least a decade now. Most of us already have several that we aren't using.
USB power adapters have also been by far the most common when people explicitly purchase a power adapter, such as when they want a higher wattage adapter to charge faster than the basic one that came with some device, or they want to replace a single port adapter with one with multiple ports to better utilize their outlets.
Result: probably 95+% of consumers in the US who would buy an Apple device already have plenty of USB charging ports available.
If I remember right, Apple Watch is the most popular smart watch on the market — meaning many people have had one already. Those people don't need a new adapter. It's like the iPhone: if I already have one, I don't need another adapter (lord knows I have enough of them).
It's definitely not great for new customers though, and it absolutely should not be $30, but for people like me it's a positive move forward to reduce waste.
Power adapters that use a USB connector have been commonly included with a large fraction of consumer devices for at least a decade now. Most of us already have several that we aren't using.
USB power adapters have also been by far the most common when people explicitly purchase a power adapter, such as when they want a higher wattage adapter to charge faster than the basic one that came with some device, or they want to replace a single port adapter with one with multiple ports to better utilize their outlets.
Result: probably 95+% of consumers in the US who would buy an Apple device already have plenty of USB charging ports available.