Why the iPhone 12 makes me think Apple will soon end all phone ports

Ports have been a fixture in mobile phones since their inception, dating back to iPhone 12 Going back to the “dumb phones” of decades before. But even when it comes to ports, Apple has done things its own way. In 2012, the company obsoleted its own accessories when it switched from a 30-pin connector to a proprietary lighting port, although USB-C is widely accepted as a universal connector. (There are the However, Lightning cables that use a USB-C on the non-commercial side.)

But if long-standing industry rumors are to be believed, Apple plans to remove this last remaining port on the iPhone, making way for a completely portless phone. One of the latest indications that we are approaching this life without ports is the introduction of MagSafe by Apple on the iPhone.

The wireless charging system is based on a series of built-in magnets that snap the iPhone 12 onto a MagSafe disc. To charge your iPhone 12, place it on the circular charging pad, then wait for the charging indicator on the screen to confirm that it is working. This eliminates the need for a Lightning connector, and while Apple kept the port on the iPhone 12, it did remove the wall adapter and wired headphones from their box.

After the addition of MagSafe, a wireless future seems inevitable for the iPhone. It offers a glimpse into Apple’s vision where an ecosystem of wireless iPhone accessories is made possible by magnets, not ports.

“Wireless technologies have reached a level of maturity where a portless device is much more viable than ever,” said Tuong Huy Nguyen, senior principal analyst at Gartner.

Some Chinese phone makers have also gotten ahead of Apple, launching their own portless phones. And emerging technology, like virtual reality headsets and smart glasses, are wireless too. Whether Apple finally takes this path remains to be seen, but there are many reasons why the time is right for Apple to finally introduce a portless iPhone.

Apple is doing more things wireless

Ports are a convenient conduit for phones to offer three key functions: charging, data transfer, and audio output. Before adding MagSafe to their phones, Apple developed AirDrop and iCloud for data transfer. When it comes to audio, Apple seriously kicked off the mainstream wireless earbuds trend when it introduced the first-gen Airpods in 2016.

MagSafe is the wireless bridge to wired accessories

MagSafe is Apple’s answer to wireless charging for the iPhone 12. But to convince more people to live without a Lightning port, Apple needs to offer a wireless bridge to other wired accessories. MagSafe seems to serve exactly that purpose, opening up possibilities for a whole new world of magnetically interlocking iPhone accessories.

These accessories can include “game controllers, camera grips, selfie sticks, and yes, wireless charging battery packs that could change the way we hold or interact with an iPhone,” according to CNET Executive Editor Roger Cheng. .

Some official MagSafe accessories we’ve already seen include the Belkin Car Dock and an iPhone / Apple Watch Combo Charger. The switch to MagSafe also indicates that iPhones probably won’t get USB-C.

Apple keeps improving wireless charging

After holding out for years, Apple embraced wireless technology in 2018 when it added support for the Qi-based inductive wireless charging standard to its iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Apple initially limited the power to just 5 watts, but later increased it to 7.5 watts. via a software update. This was an indication that Apple was considering wireless charging not as a special feature, but as a necessary one.

There is also a talk of new wireless charging pad in the works to replace Air power, which was eventually canceled before it had a chance to hit the market. Instead of charging multiple devices simultaneously as AirPower promised, this Qi pad would likely charge one device at a time.

Now Apple says that MagSafe works even faster than Qi chargers. Its charger now offers twice the power at 15 watts, which could equate it with the fast-charging technology that Android phones have long enjoyed. It is true that Apple has to catch up compared to Chinese competitors like Xiaomi and Oppo, but overall the industry is moving forward.

For many years, wireless chargers have been painfully slow compared to their wired counterparts, taking almost twice as long in some cases. But that gap is narrowing. Earlier this year, Oppo released a 65W wireless charger, dubbed AirVOOC, which it says can fully charge a battery in 30 minutes. In the meantime, Xiaomi is working on an 80W wireless charger which promises to fully recharge a 4,000 mAh battery in less than 20 minutes.

Apple has removed once-standard features and is likely to do so again

Apple isn’t above removing popular product features, even if people want them years after they’re gone. Apple eliminated the DVD drive in its Macs, for example, and said goodbye to the headphone jack by removing it from the iPhone 7 in 2016. Veteran Apple executive Phill Schiller said it took “courage,” positioning it as a game-changing change . outdated technology. “It doesn’t make sense to wire us to our mobile devices,” Schiller said when Apple introduced the AirPods at the same event.

Although many criticized the move, other phone makers followed Apple’s lead. Samsung, OnePlus, Google, and others ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack from their flagships shortly after, leaving a USB-C port in its place.

Apple still sells tens of millions of iPhones and AirPods each year, which shows that many people are willing to adapt to its newest technology.

“A smartphone is a device with limited space for all components, but it will also be important for smartphone manufacturers to provide better or more features to stay competitive,” said Will Wong, IDC Asia Pacific research manager. “So a portless phone is likely to be an inevitable trend.”

An iPhone without a port will allow Apple to better differentiate between models

Apple analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo predicts that Apple will launch a flagship iPhone without a port by 2021. Kuo reported that having a cordless phone will “create more differentiation” between top-tier iPhones and base model iPhones. Following the naming standards of the iPhone 12, this would mean that the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max specifically may not have a port.

“We hope that the high-end model cancels the [Lightning] port and provide a completely wireless experience, “Kuo wrote in a 2019 report.

Differentiating more between models could make it easier for Apple to impose higher prices for its fancier iPhones. These would target people with bigger budgets and would care about being on the cutting edge of Apple technology.

Apple wouldn’t be the first to experiment with a portless phone

Apple is not usually the first to jump on the mobile phone trends. It wasn’t the first to launch phones with 5G or wireless charging, and we haven’t seen a foldable device yet. Therefore, it is not surprising that telephones without a port already exist. Chinese phone maker Vivo last year launched an Apex phone concept without ports or buttons, which relies on a magnetic clip that attaches behind the phone to charge it. It also has virtual pressure sensing buttons instead of physical buttons, but it is not yet available to the mass market.

No ports would also mean more durability

Every time Apple closes a port, it tends to follow a chorus of criticism about forced obsolescence, among other things. Some iPhone users feel that Apple is stealing perfectly accurate entry points from them.

Allegations of forced obsolescence aside, port closures could also make iPhones more durable. The logic is this: no ports means fewer seams and therefore less chance of dust and water getting on the phone. It also means fewer vulnerability points for cracks.

Apple has been equipping its iPhones with features designed to improve durability. This year, the company emphasized the protective ceramic screen on its new iPhone 12 models. It also introduced water resistance for iPhones in 2016.