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But not if you hold the phone up like I do - I don’t want to use my iPhone while it’s charging on a table or desk
Uh… MagSafe is a tiny metal disc that’s stuck to the back of your phone, you can still use the phone while holding it.
Even with the duo, you can fold the Apple Watch portion into itself and hold the phone while it’s charging.
It’s magnetic, remember? It sticks
 
Originally, I didn't mind the Lightning connector as it was, in many ways, superior to the micro-usb that was the alternative at the time. Now, with USB-C there is no reason for it to exist other than to make Apple money with the MFi licensing.
 
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Apple should take it's head out of it's ass and start using USB-C everywhere.
Apple should do a lot of things but they are only going to do what makes them the most money or saves them the most costs: As longs as there's no clear indication that Apple is losing market shares because of it's refusal to go USB-C for iPhones then there's no reason for them to change anything and waste money on R&D.

Giving iPhones USB-C renders a ton of proprietary, made by Apple-accessories obsolete and opens up the market for consumers to get cables and chargers that are neither made by nor mfi certified by Apple.

Judging by what Apple is doing with MagSafe, I feel its much more likely they'll rely on some iteration of that or come up with yet another new proprietary solution. Equally likely is a portless iPhone with upgraded wireless charging speeds, "MagSafe 2nd Gen" or something similar.

Businesses only care to impress as long as it means increased profits. If consumers buy the product even when parts of it are disappointing then there's no reason for the business to change the product.

I'm also sure that there are just as many Apple users on the other side of the fence who have invested hundred of dollars on Lightning accessories and would hate to see the port go.

The win that many are painting a switch to USB-C to be for Apple isn't as obvious as it's often made out to be.
 
I imagine a MagSafe-like port (like the ones on Macs). Never imagined absolutely no port. Who knows.
 
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For iPhone, I would say, after lighting comes wireless.

My iPhone 13 Pro Max is already wireless. I charge my iPhone overnight on a NOMAD wireless charger and data transfer is AirDrop.

The only wired connection I have is AirPods Max connected with the lightning to 3.5mm cord to play "lossless".
 
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Uh… MagSafe is a tiny metal disc that’s stuck to the back of your phone, you can still use the phone while holding it.
Even with the duo, you can fold the Apple Watch portion into itself and hold the phone while it’s charging.
It’s magnetic, remember? It sticks
Yes, I know but if your holding the iPhone for 30 minutes to a hour, having a disk on the back is just not comfortable

I suppose battery life is now at the point where it doesn’t need to be charging all the time so it won’t matter regardless of this change
 
Apple's confusing port lineup has not gone unnoticed. Across the latest iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods models, Apple offers customers four completely different types of chargers to juice up their devices.
If you add the stationary computers, you get two more.
1. Lightning
2. USB-C
3. Mac Mini power connector
4. iMac/Mac Pro power connector
5. iPhone Magsafe
6. Apple watch charger

#1 should be replaced by #2, and I personally hope #3 gets replaced by #4 due to a new form factor.

Edit: Based on comments:
7. MBP Magsafe
8. Beats USB-Micro
 
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USB-C is stupid:
- thick
- faster charging speeds
- faster data speeds than the trusted 20+ year standard USB 2.0
- people can make the cables without Apple profiting
- it’s not Lightning
- Apple makes less money
- I give less money to Apple

Stupid! give me back my 30-pin connector.
 
too many devices rely upon some kind of physical port, namely millions of cars that have Apple CarPlay.

Article does suggest MagSafe to include data in a future version. So instead of an USB-A->Lightning cable you will need an USB-A->puck cable.

It does seem that Apple just don't want me to replace my Xr for the next 2-3 years. Fine with me....
 
If you add the stationary computers, you get two more.
1. Lightning
2. USB-C
3. Mac Mini power connector
4. iMac/Mac Pro power connector
5. Magsafe
6. Apple watch charger

#1 should be replaced by #2, and I personally hope #3 gets replaced by #4 due to a new form factor.
There is also different MagSafe for iPhone/MacBook Pro so should 7
 
We're taking that comment 10 years ago as a literal expiration date? Slow news day?
Five years ago we were told that mobile phones would be obsolete -- in five years. Replaced by something ah, um, wonderful. Yeah, its a slow news day. ?
 
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I think what Apple may do is upgrade the Lightning port to run at least USB 3.0 standard, possibly even USB 3.1. That will allow 10 gigabit data transfer rate, which is nearly 21 times faster than the USB 2.0 standard now supported. At USB 3.1 speed, that would be enough to transfer ProRAW still image and ProRes video files off an iPhone at vastly more reasonable speeds.

However, Apple may have found a supplier of USB Type C connectors that meets Apple's strict criteria for water resistance, and that could allow at least the iPhone 14 Pro models to go USB Type C with Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 support.
I am under the impression there aren’t enough pins to handle the bandwidth; It’s a limitation of the plug.

Otherwise Apple woulda done this years ago, right? I can’t imagine anyone at apple wants USB 2.0 on their flagship phones.
 
I get this impression Apple will go with their own MagSafe variant for the iPhone, probably one that is also capable of data transfer. I understand why people want "a single cable to charge everything", but since the Watch already has its own cable, I really don't see an issue with carrying a third option when traveling. It's not really that big a deal.

No skin off my nose, as I am happy with my current range of devices (and specifically, the Lightning Docks I have all over the house to dock my phone).
 
You can talk with the MagSafe charger attached to the iPhone.
I know but I oftentimes use my iPhone for over an hour at a time and having a disk on the back is just not the same as having the cable plugged in under the iPhone

Battery life continues to improve each year with both hardware and software optimizations and is probably now at the point where I don’t need to be charging it all the time so it might not matter to me if Apple gets rid of the lightning port on their future iPhones
 
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