Hypothetical situation: would you buy the next iPhone if it got rid of...

[sniffies]

It's very likely that Apple's next feature on the chopping block is the charging port.

With the advent of wireless charging, obviously it's not needed anymore.

I'd rather have a serious waterproofness than an extra hole.

Would you buy such an iPhone, or would you switch to Galaxy S10 or whatever?

 

[Bmore]

It's very likely that Apple's next feature on the chopping block is the charging port.

With the advent of wireless charging, obviously it's not needed anymore.

I'd rather have a serious waterproofness than an extra hole.

Would you buy such an iPhone, or would you switch to Galaxy S10 or whatever?

I highly doubt it will lose the charging port as that acts to charge and to use headphones

Wireless charging can't be and won't be the only option.

 

[sniffies]

I highly doubt it will lose the charging port as that acts to charge and to use headphones

Wireless charging can't be and won't be the only option.

wired headphones are going away

AirPods are the future

 

[Bmore]

wired headphones are going away

AirPods are the future

Not for the next iPhone

 

[KrisLord]

Wireless charging is 7.5w maximum vs 29w via the USB C adapter so I think we’re a good few years away from the lightning port going.

I don’t think headphones are likely to prevent its removal as wireless is sufficient there - there’s also the question about how you manage software failures if you can’t connect to iTunes via USB.

 

[Dirtydutch]

It’s not just for audio it’s also for restores and other maintenance and troubleshooting that is necessary. It’ll probably be a while before they got rid of it

 

[AlphaGuitarist]

How would it you charge it while driving/flying/out and about?

 

[Applejuiced]

Hell no.
I dont care about a higher water resisting rate for my smartphone. I dont go swimming with it.
I would have to purchase 4-5 wireless pads and a few car pads.
And then take extra long to charge since wireless tech is not up to speed yet. And I dont like my phone to be heating up like a toaster.
I like to use fast ipad chargers.

 

[sniffies]

How would it you charge it while driving/flying/out and about?

what do you mean how? wirelessly

 

[MisterMillz]

I don’t think this is farcetched, but I definitely don’t see it happening in the near future (next 2-3 years). That would mean Apple would have to provide us with a wireless charger. Since they’re so focused on the AirPower Pad right now, I don’t see them including a $200 (I think) charging pad with every purchase.

 

[SomeGuy2112]

Since its hypothetical, I'd say yes lets get rid of it. In that same hypothetical world there is 29w proximity wireless charging and proximity charging power banks as well.

 

[sniffies]

there’s also the question about how you manage software failures if you can’t connect to iTunes via USB.

It’s not just for audio it’s also for restores and other maintenance and troubleshooting that is necessary. It’ll probably be a while before they got rid of it

Such troubleshootings would be performed the same way they are performed on Apple Watch, which has zero ports.

 

[AlphaGuitarist]

what do you mean how? wirelessly

Unless Apple will also provide magnetic charging cables (it'll have to be a stronger magnet than the one in the Apple Watch charging cable), I don't really see how that would be feasible. When I travel, I usually carry an external battery pack with me, as taking pictures/videos and using the GPS tends to eat through the battery rather quickly. Wireless charging would render the battery pack useless, unless Apple or 3rd party vendors start releasing wireless battery packs.

This creates a new problem. Unless proximity charging is ready for prime time, there is no way going completely wireless will succeed.

 

[ckurt25]

what do you mean how? wirelessly

All the airlines, every plane is going to add wireless charging to every seat? They don't have USB ports for charging on every seat on every plane today.

 

[sniffies]

All the airlines, every plane is going to add wireless charging to every seat? They don't have USB ports for charging on every seat on every plane today.

That's why I'm talking about the future, around year 2100

 

[SomeGuy2112]

Cell phones will go the way of the dinosaur WELL before that.

That's why I'm talking about the future, around year 2100

 

[Droidbricker]

ITT “people” who are OK with Apple getting rid of part of the screen but not OK with them getting get rid of a charging port on a phone that recharges wirelessly.

 

[SomeGuy2112]

They didn't "get rid of" part of the screen. They just didn't "add" as much screen as some people may have hoped for.

ITT “people” who are OK with Apple getting rid of part of the screen but not OK with them getting get rid of a charging port on a phone that recharges wirelessly.

 

[joeblow7777]

Nope. It's lost the headphone jack, and I don't like it but I'll live with it. It (the X) has lost the home button and TouchID, and I don't like it but I'll live with it. This would be one sacrifice too many.

 

[vasim]

How they will solve the connect and develop through Xcode and deploy without a port? remotely?

 

[brianric]

That's why I'm talking about the future, around year 2100

I will have been pushing daises for 60 to 70 years.
[doublepost=1505939929][/doublepost]

ITT “people” who are OK with Apple getting rid of part of the screen but not OK with them getting get rid of a charging port on a phone that recharges wirelessly.

Kind of hard doing it in my car when using Google Maps, or for that matter making a call in my 2016 Honda Civic with Car Play unless I'm plugged in. Backing up and restoring from iTunes using wireless would take too long.

 

[Droidbricker]

Kind of hard doing it in my car when using Google Maps, or for that matter making a call in my 2016 Honda Civic with Car Play unless I'm plugged in. Backing up and restoring from iTunes using wireless would take too long.

They do make car phone mounts with wireless charging built in.

 

[bufffilm]

wired headphones are going away

AirPods are the future

Wired headphones are what I use.

Not having the ability to plug in would rule out that phone for me.

Airpods are not in my future.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

The port has a lot of utility at the manufacturing and repair/refurbishment level, I would imagine. A device that can only be interfaced with over wireless may not be able to be repaired if something goes wrong at the OS/firmware level. Even the Apple Watch, which is never intended to be physically connected to by the end-user, technically does have a data port (it's hidden where the bands attach) which I assume is used at the factory, by techs repairing them, and so on.

In other words I believe that removing the only io port on the device would be more of an inconvenience for Apple than it would be for the average user.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yeah, sure they will.
By 2080

All the airlines, every plane is going to add wireless charging to every seat? They don't have USB ports for charging on every seat on every plane today.