The Portless iPhone 13
By: Zachary Leung
Tags: iPhone, Smartphones, Wireless

Apple has been known to do quite weird and questionable things in the past like removing the headphone jack. This time, however, they are removing the port. The port is such a big part of the phone, without it how are we supposed to charge our phone? Yes, we do have wireless charging and all but it isn’t mature enough yet, but you can bet your bottom dollar that’s about to change. Here’s why.

Wireless Charging

Just like when Apple first removed the headphone jack, the technology of the solution isn’t quite ready for that yet. So far, wireless charging is this ultra-niche product that’s more stylish than it is useful. It charges a lot slower than a wired charge, not to mention the fact that it isn’t even fully wireless. The “wireless charger” still has to be plugged in to even work. Another problem is, you can’t use your phone without disrupting the charge, whilst with wired charging you can.

As I said earlier though, this is all about to change. Companies sell you things based on your needs, kind of like when Apple removed the headphone jack, wireless headphones, and earbuds blew up. Just like the success of Airpods, I think Apple is going to make some kind of wireless charger and start hard pushing it.

Similarly, I think that companies that make true wireless charging, kind of like the MotherBox (Check it out here) are going to blow up. They might get sponsors from other big companies or even Apple themselves to truly push the future of wireless charging. It might take-off skyrocketing, or Apple might flop.

The Box

As I said earlier, the wireless charger is an ultra-niche product, which means not everyone has one. I think that Apple is going to start putting a cheap wireless charger in the box. They have to put at least a cheap one, otherwise, they’d be forcing people to buy one, and that’s not wise. People without a wireless charger would be unable to charge their phones, and there is no doubt that people will go crazy. They would also need to come with some wireless data transfer instruction and tools, otherwise, people would get upset at Apple.

The Phone

If Apple is going to remove the port in the iPhone, they’re going to need a good reason for it. Kind of like how they gave us a slightly bigger battery for removing the headphone jack, they should give us something similar like bigger storage or 90Hz display. It’s finally time for Apple to give us that long-awaited 90Hz display.

When Apple makes a movie like this with their phones, many other companies tend to follow suit. Kind of like headphones jacks, soon ports will only be found in budget or mid-range phones.

What’s Next?

Apple seems to be removing the holes and ports one-by-one, so what’s next? I would argue that it might look something like the Meizu Zero(Check it out here), it is the world’s first “holeless” phones, although it did still have speaker grills. With virtual buttons there are many advantages like how the button can move up and down depending on the size of your hand, it can also rotate with your phone. Although the Meizu Zero flopped and was not a success, it will be the way our smartphones will head down.