iPhone 13 Pro concept – Credit: LetsGoDigital
UPDATE: Well, half of you won’t buy such a contraption. People point out slow charging speeds as a potential drawback and a solid chunk of votes goes in that direction. We probably won’t see a portless model in the iPhone 13 lineup, but there’s a remote possibility of this happening in a later iteration. There was a portless concept, by the way, the Meizu Zero but it turned out to be a PR stunt and never really transformed into an actual device. So, cables it is then…
As controversial as it might sound, the iPhone is lagging in several key categories, such as battery life, fast charging, biometrics, and more. There are some rumors, though, that Apple is gearing up for a bold move and will offer a portless iPhone in the near future.
The reasons behind such a move are trivial and don’t necessarily include an urge for innovation per se, but more likely the urge not to pay USB-C license fees. The Lightning port was a good decision back when micro-USB was around but now the benefits of the Type C connector are clear as day.
Apple already offers USB-C in its tablets and laptops but according to Ming-Chi Kuo, won’t budge and we’re about to get another lineup of devices, equipped with the Lightning port (iPhone 13). There’s however a remote possibility that Apple decides to probe the market and offer a portless model.
A portless phone might seem really futuristic on paper and also quite attractive design-wise but the actual benefits for the user are not that clear. For starters, Apple should fix its wireless charging speeds, otherwise, it’d be an even more frustrating business.
And then there’s the issue with bricked phones and situations where your iPhone needs to be hooked to a computer. Not to mention files transfer – yeah, you could use the cloud, Bluetooth, wi-fi, etc. but taking away the fast and reliable cable might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Would you buy such a thing – a portless iPhone?
Please vote in our poll and share your wise thoughts in the comments below. Are portless phones the future? Or just a stupid idea and a disaster waiting to happen?
