Kuo: Apple to Launch 'Completely Wireless' iPhone Without Lightning Connector and 'iPhone SE 2 Plus' With Touch ID Power Button in 2021

[The-Real-Deal82]

I charge my phone wirelessly but use the port for earphones and the occasional charge when I don’t have access to a charge mat. Seems completely nonsensical to remove this convenience.

A way to force people to migrate towards Bluetooth earphones? The less wireless things attached to my head the better. I guess my iPhone will cease to be a musical device after 2021 if this is remotely true.

 

[bobob]

Apple's future is found with wearables and there isn't a place for cords in a wearables world.

The less wireless things attached to my head the better.

Let's meet back here in December 2029 and see which one of these perspectives has faded into history.

 

[IAmNotDonaldTrump]

Suicide. I'm not buying a new iPhone until they have 5G and a USB-C connection. Period. I'll get a pixel if apple refuses to make this phone.

 

[The Game 161]

Suicide. I'm not buying a new iPhone until they have 5G and a USB-C connection. Period. I'll get a pixel if apple refuses to make this phone.

You either want an iPhone or you don’t

chances are usb c isn’t coming ever...

 

[vipergts2207]

Let's meet back here in December 2029 and see which one of these perspectives has faded into history.

Wow, going out a decade. Bold..

 

[bobob]

Wow, going out a decade. Bold..

If you think a decade is long, then how do you feel about forever?

The person I was quoting said:

I guess my iPhone will cease to be a musical device after 2021 if this is remotely true.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Let's meet back here in December 2029 and see which one of these perspectives has faded into history.

I took all my iTunes music off my iPhone 2 years ago and if I ever listen to music through my phone now, it’s from amazon music. I can see myself migrating away from using my iPhone for music as it seems to be the direction things are going with convenience being developed out of it.

 

[groove-agent]

Yeah. They put so much effort into their cameras and this would hamstring video shooting. Wireless mikes ... no.

I guess they could possibly do a bluetooth wireless microphone. However, the software would have to do delay compensation for the bluetooth latency.

 

[Shirasaki]

Plus heats up the phone. If you have the screen on with it charging, even worse. I’m not a fan of wireless charging. Charging cables are just fine for me.

How would people do a restore via iTunes? Even DFU mode? Yeahhhh... no.

The moment all ports are gone is the moment buying an iPhone outright is pointless. Your iPhone is merely a luxury portal to iOS apps and your data, nothing more.

 

[0924487]

the board has a hard on for USB-C but the millions of users with existing lighting docks and/or accessories will be pissed beyond belief.

lightning docks will continue to work with the devices you bought them for. Just like cases keyboards covers and Apple Pencils. You should not expect them to work with future hardwares.

 

[pcd213]

I don’t believe this is the case, but what if by portless they are planning some type of MagSafe-like connection? I’m interested if you all would hate this as strongly as a true portless phone.

 

[DNAppleGold]

Having not read all 260 posts, did someone mention that almost all cars work only with CarPlay wired? Will not be buying an iPhone that does work with my new car.

 

[tks900]

I think we need to distinguish between getting rid of connectors IN GENERAL and getting rid of any particular connectors SPECIFICALLY. I believe that nobody here is against losing connectors in general. Why would they? It's not like they are in love with connectors per se. And they are also not against a future in which humanity has got rid of wired connectors entirely. However, they do see in specific connectors, the lightning port for the iPhone in this case, something that has a specific function for them which, at least with the tech currently available, cannot satisfyingly be replaced. Basically, what they (and I) want is for Apple to provide a replacement solution that is as good (or better) than the current port solution BEFORE they get rid of same port. If they don't do that, we will either be stripped of functions or will have to live with provisional solutions (= dongles) for a considerable period.

 

[pcd213]

Having not read all 260 posts, did someone mention that almost all cars work only with CarPlay wired? Will not be buying an iPhone that does work with my new car.

Yes, many mentions of this.

 

[topher86]

Yes, many mentions of this.

Having not read all 260 posts, did someone mention that almost all cars work only with CarPlay wired? Will not be buying an iPhone that does work with my new car.

This is moot. Already we are seeing competitors like Amazon's (Alexa Auto) have car-specific decks with Bluetooth pairing for data.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple figure out some form of carplay bridge that will suffice. The jokes about buying a new car are funny, but putting it past Apple to require some form of "dongle", "dock", or "bridge" is just being in denial. Killer features would be multiple phone support as well as easy device selection (audio control, messages, navigation, etc).

 

[pcd213]

I'm not saying I'm in favor of a portless phone, but I'm not sure why everyone is up in arms about it. For one, this phone will launch in 21 months. That's a long time from now, plenty of time for the details to be ironed out and context to be shared through leaks. Secondly, it appears that it's only the top tier, highest-end model that will be portless. There will be other iPhones to buy. I could understand the anger if Apple removed the lightning port from every single phone in 2021. That would be a bit drastic. Instead, it sounds like Apple will slowly guide us toward a true wireless device, starting with the most expensive model and eventually working their way through the lineup.

"If you don't want an iPhone __, don't buy it..."

 

[cocky jeremy]

Because wireless charging is inefficient compare with charging with cables? Even with wireless fast charging, it is still no comparisons

Apple love to talk how they care about environment, but all they do is making product lesser environmental friendly. As far as I know, world is still relying on fossil fuel for generating electricity. Why is Apple giving up higher efficient way of charging and adopting less efficient way? Why is Apple making their computer less upgradable?

There could be a MagSafe built into the 2021 iPhones that has no actual "port" that you plugin. No ports doesn't necessarily mean 100% wireless.

 

[iGeneo]

A wireless iPhone will work great with all those millions of wired Apple CarPlay systems.

Perhaps a lightning "dongle" that plugs into the car and the phone connects to it wirelessly?

 

[Diogene7]

I can see this happening.
We have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connectivity along with wireless charging.
There really isn't much need for any kind of port.

I find it interesting only if wireless charging can be done at a distance up to maybe ~50cm (like Rezence / Airfuel wireless charging): it would allow to drop the iPhone anywhere on a bedside table without the inconvenience of the piky at contact positionning constraints that relates to Qi wireless charging.

Also, ideally it would be cool that Apple integrate multigigabit WiGig (60Ghz) wireless docking that would enable new use case scenario !!!
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The idea of it is interesting, but I hope this means they have solved the bluetooth audio delay issue. Playing games and watching movies via bluetooth is not usually a pleasant experience.

I think bluetooth 5.1 seems to solve the synchronisation issue...

 

[compwiz1202]

Except for CarPlay. Mine requires a hard cable connection.

Now with CarPlay I can see at least six disadvantages now for wireless.

1. Inefficient
2. Which causes heat
3. Slow
4. Low Range
5. Not widely available in public
6. Only high end cars have wireless CarPlay.[/QUOTE]
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Maybe they finally adopt long range wireless charging: https://www.energous.com/

Hopefully. That would solve the issue of range. Also has to be efficient and safe.

 

[compwiz1202]

A number of manufacturers already have wireless CarPlay; e.g. BMW, Audi, Mercedes among others. But not across the entire line and usually from 2017 models and later. Some vehicles have wired CarPlay and a wireless charging option, which is odd unless you don't use CarPlay and want to charge wirelessly (or your passenger does).

I think 2021 is too early for a fully wireless phone but I believe that's where we are headed. Not only would Apple have to include a "portable" wireless charge pad and charger they need to have solutions for the myriad of wired use cases of which CarPlay is but one.

Saw some feature when we were looking for a new car where you could put your phone vertically into the center console to wirelessly charge.

 

[The Game 161]

Having not read all 260 posts, did someone mention that almost all cars work only with CarPlay wired? Will not be buying an iPhone that does work with my new car.

but thats not the market, most people will not have cars that even work with CarPlay anyway.

 

[CPL593H]

I’m just imagining some stupid magnetic or clip on attachment to the back of the phone as a pseudo wired cable as a “you can still charge plugged in” reply.

Strong no from me.

 

[JohnnyKeatth]

.

 

[vipergts2207]

but thats not the market, most people will not have cars that even work with CarPlay anyway.

A substantial amount of cars were CarPlay capable starting in MY2017. Those cars are just now coming off their 3-year leases, so you’re going to see a good number of cars hitting the used market soon that are CarPlay capable. People aren’t going to want to lose an awesome feature they gained with their used late-model car because Apple wants to remove the port. Being able to use CarPlay navigation in cars that didn’t come with the NAV option alone is killer app level stuff.

This list shows 2017 as the most common year to for CarPlay to arrive on a model and 2016 is up there as well. Yeah, the college kid who can only afford a 10-year old vehicle won’t be getting built-in CarPlay, but there are a lot of people that take advantage of probably the best value in the car market of buying slightly used cars. And there are aftermarket units available for CarPlay as well for old cars.

https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/available-models/