Apple has a habit of leaving ageing technology in the dust, encouraging users to adapt to new ways and means of connecting their favourite tech.
The 3.5mm headphone jack and the 30-pin connector have been consigned to history in years gone by, and now the replacement technology, the lightning port, could be going the same way.
According to the prolific analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning on dropping the proprietary lightning port for the 2021 iPhones. While some have speculated that Apple might ditch the Lightning port for the more common USB-C tech, as it has on the iPad Pro, but that isn’t the case here, according to Kuo.
He believes Apple is going for a “completely wireless experience” meaning the company would only enable charging wireless. How that would pan out outside of the home and office remains to be seen.
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In the note to investors obtained by MacRumors, he wrote: “Apple will create more differentiation between the highest-end and high- end models. It will benefit the shipment of the highest-end model and iPhone ASP. Among new 2H21 iPhone models, we expect that the highest-end model would cancel the [Lightning] port and provide the completely wireless experience.”
You can see the image that accompanied the note from TF International Securities below, with the minus lightning model on the far right.
TF International Securities
That would mean iPhone users would likely need to carry wireless chargers around with them, which inherently have wires, rather than the lightning cable many users keep with them in case replenishment is required.
Either that or Apple will be relying on businesses and airlines around the world installing wireless chargers everywhere. Elsewhere in that document, the company might even launch an iPhone SE2 Plus in 2021, with a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch display.
Kuo added: “Apple will launch the iPhone SE2 Plus in 1H21. We predict that the display size will be 5.5 or 6.1-inch. This model will adopt a full-screen design. The notch area will be smaller because of no Face ID support. The Touch ID will be integrated with the power button, which is located on the side.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.