After 10 years, the iPhone charging port finally getting an update. The European Union has deemed USB-C the universal charging standard in the region, which means all new phones will be launched in Europe. must have a USB-C charging port in 2024. The decision had previously fueled speculation about Apple switching to USB-C, but the company confirmed it in a recent interview at the WSJ Tech Live Conference.
“We have no choice – as we do all over the world, [Apple will] to comply with local laws,” Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said during the interview. “We believe it would have been better for the environment and for our customers not to have such a normative government.”
But switching to USB-C isn’t Apple’s only option. What if Apple released a new iPhone no ports at all?
This may sound unreasonable, but hear me out. Consider the trajectory of the iPhone in wireless functionality, and it seems that Apple has gradually laid the foundation for a completely wireless iPhone. The success of AirPods and Apple’s emphasis on new types of cable-free connections like MagSafe all point in that direction.
The move to an iPhone without physical ports would also build on the vision Apple laid out six years ago when it announced the iPhone 7, which was the first model without a headphone jack. Apple Fellow Phil Schiller, who previously served as senior vice president of global marketing, said, “It doesn’t make sense to tie us down with cables to our mobile devices,” as he explained the change in the iPhone away from the standard headphone jack. (Apple also introduced the first-generation AirPods during the same presentation.)
It’s unclear whether Apple will make such a drastic change as eliminating the charging port altogether. Based on Joswiak’s comments on WSJ Tech Live, it looks like Apple will indeed switch to USB-C rather than move to a completely cable-free design. There are good reasons for this: Apple would undoubtedly face a backlash if it did. Additionally, technical limitations could prevent wireless charging from being a feasible full-time alternative to wired charging. But new EU rules, added pressure from US politicians such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and improvements in wireless protocols make the case for a portless iPhone more than ever.
Will Apple release a completely wireless iPhone?
Apple never discusses upcoming products until it’s ready to unveil them, so it’s impossible to know exactly what’s in store for the future of the iPhone. But previous reports and patent filings suggest that Apple may have at least envisioned a truly wireless iPhone working.
For example, an Apple patent application filed in 2019 describes an iPhone with an all-glass body that can be charged wirelessly through its screen. Apple has also filed other patents related to wireless charging that would further the cause of a portless iPhone, should the technologies ever see the light of day. One of those patents covers a MacBook design with a wireless charger built right into the keyboard, an addition that could make wireless charging more convenient.
But a research note from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, an industry watcher known for his Apple predictions, drew attention to the idea of a portless iPhone in 2019. At the time, Kuo said Apple may remove the Lightning port from its high-end iPhone in 2021, according to reports from CNBC, 9to5Mac and MacRumors. Bloomberg also reported in May that Apple had been working on iPhone models without charging ports for the past few years.
However, Kuo’s prediction did not come to fruition. Every model in the iPhone 14 line has a Lightning port. Reports of an iPhone without a port have also been rare since then, with recent information by Kuo and Bloomberg suggesting that Apple could develop USB-C compatible iPhones.
iPhone becomes less reliant on wired connections
Whether Apple will ever release a truly wireless iPhone is uncertain. But what is clear is that the iPhone has become increasingly well equipped to operate without any cables.
“The number of systems that actually have to have 100% cable is going down,” Nick Maynard, research manager at Juniper Research, said in a previous interview.
The beginnings of AirPods in 2016 was perhaps the biggest catalyst for moving away from wired connections. Although Apple’s decision to eliminate the headphone jack was somewhat controversial at the time, the industry quickly embraced the switch to wireless headphones.
After Apple said goodbye to the headphone jack, many other smartphone makers, including Samsung, followed suit. Now, global shipments of true wireless headphones have reached 68.2 million units in the first quarter of 2022 alone, up 17%, according to market research firm Canalys. AirPods are the best sellers.
But the popularity of AirPods isn’t the only sign of the iPhone’s independence from wires. Apple also launched a new type of wireless connection mechanism for the iPhone called MagSafe in 2020 with the iPhone 12.
MagSafe, not to be confused with the MacBook charger of the same name, uses a range of magnets to more easily attach wireless chargers and other accessories to the back of compatible iPhone models. MagSafe chargers can also power the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 more efficiently than standard Qi wireless chargers. The iPad Smart Connector, which is a series of flat, circular metal contacts on the back of select iPad Pro models, is another example of Apple’s efforts to make its products less dependent on cables.
New technologies such as ultra-wideband have also made it easier for the iPhone to communicate wirelessly with other devices. UWB is a wireless protocol that uses radio signals to pinpoint the location of a device, like my colleague Stephen Shankland explains. Although its main use today is for locating the location of personal effects such as your phone or car keys, it could also be useful for its original use: high-speed wireless data transfer. This could potentially further reduce the need for a Lightning port.
The challenges that come with a completely wireless iPhone
The main argument against a portless iPhone is that wireless chargers still don’t work as fast as regular wired chargers. Standard Qi wireless chargers will charge the iPhone battery at a rate of 7.5 watts, while Apple’s MagSafe connector can charge up to 15 watts. But iPhone 8 and newer models support faster charging which replenishes 50% of the device’s battery in 30 minutes. However, you’ll need a wired connection to a compatible 20-watt power adapter to get those speeds. It’s certainly an improvement over wireless charging, but it’s still slower than the charging speeds offered by Android rivals like OnePlus.
Those who don’t already have a wireless charger may need to buy one separately if Apple releases an iPhone without ports. Apple stopped including power adapters in iPhone packaging with the iPhone 12, but it still offers Lightning cables in the box. If it switches to USB-C in the near future, it’ll likely include those cables in the box instead. Apple’s MagSafe charger is priced at $39, but there are also non-Apple chargers with the company’s official MagSafe designation. However, you probably also need a 20-watt USB-C power adapter to get the fastest charging speed. (Apple indicates that the power supplied varies depending on the power of the AC adapter and system conditions.)
Even with these caveats, wireless charging has become ubiquitous on modern smartphones. Compatible chargers aren’t as expensive as they were five years ago, bolstering the case for an all-wireless iPhone. For example, third-party wireless chargers can be found on Amazon for less than $20.
But Gene Munster, managing partner at Loup Ventures, thinks there are bigger improvements to be made when it comes to charging phones without cables. He envisions a future in which smartphones can be charged entirely wirelessly without having to come into contact with a charger.
Munster said his company has met with private companies that are working on technologies like this, but cautioned that it is still in its infancy. Apple has also filed a patent application hinting at technology capable of charging iPhones over Wi-Fi. Ossia, a Washington-based tech company, has also developed a charging system that it says , can power remote electronic devices using RF antenna technology.
“Imagine never having to think about charging your phone is the goal,” Munster said in a previous interview.
If Apple is aiming for true wireless charging, it’s probably not coming to the iPhone anytime soon. It’s also unclear if Apple will ever release a completely portless iPhone, given that USB-C looks like the most likely successor to Lightning.
Apple also apparently backed down on its stance on reducing the number of connections in its MacBook Pro laptops recently. The 2021 MacBook Pro has an SD card slot and an HDMI port, which means it has more connectivity options we’ve seen on Apple laptops for years. (However, the new M2-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro only includes two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports.)
But the idea of an iPhone that can work without wired cables certainly seems to align with Apple’s vision from 2016. As former Apple design chief Jony Ive said when describing the design of the iPhone 7 without a headphone jack, “the company’s obsession remains to simplify and continually improve”.” If done right, an iPhone without charging ports could accomplish just that.
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