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I can see myself doing great with a portless iPhone, but I am also aware of a lot of edge cases where having a physical port is an advantage or even a requirement.

I think Apple should go portless on the iPhone 14 (the majority of users don't really have any use for the lightning port) and replace lightning with USB-C on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (Pro users would benefit greatly from USB-C transfer speeds + easy connectivity with third-party accessories).
Didn't you read about lower water resistance with USB-C? that's a big problem.
 
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I guess you're right in terms of basic math and physics. However, like solar panels and battery capacities, wireless charging does get slightly more efficient with each iteration so as the efficiency gap between the two narrows, I think most energy efficiency experts would turn their concerns to more power hungry appliances and vehicles that waste much more energy per consumer than a wirelessly charging phone.
MagSafe helps improve efficiency as it ensure most efficient lineup of coils vs Qi, and while wireless will get more efficient iver time, so will wired charging and thus the delta will not improve that much.
Here is another way to look at it: imagine 1 Billion devices use wireless charging, lose 1kW in a year ( that would be only 3W per day roughly) - that’s a lot of power that needs to be generated somehow/somewhere… the numbers add up.

I know how convenient wireless charging is, actually use an older Qi charger for my iPhone overnight… just looking at the whole picture…
 
Lightning port is not going anywhere soon. There’s really no advantage to  to give up their lightning cord and charger sales
However I do think the SIM card tray will go and E-sim will be the way forward this will free up more room for batteries
I can actually say from experience that using a E-sim is simple easy to install and gets the same service if not better from a carrier
If Apple were as “green” as they claim, they would replace lightning with USB-C, it would make things a whole lot easier…
 
Apple could sell a universal Wireless CarPlay adapter that just plugs into the USB port of your car. There are already lots of choices from no-name brands that work pretty well, but if Apple made one I'd rather have the real deal even at a higher cost.
As the owner of a 2022 car without wireless carplay, I have to ask, why haven't they already! Every time I shop for one of the wireless adapters, all I see are bad reviews.
 
When I get a new iPhone, the first thing I do is shove it into a wallet case. I don't particularly like the limited options there are for magsafe-compatible wallets, especially since I don't see wireless charging as a compelling feature anyway - its presence or absence is not something I'd base a purchase decision on.
 
Unless data transfer and wireless charging reach a certain level that is usable. Then and only then will we see a port-less iPhone. Not expecting this to happen before iPhone 16 or whatever. They will co-exist. Chances lightning getting replaced by USB-C is more likely.
 
When I get a new iPhone, the first thing I do is shove it into a wallet case. I don't particularly like the limited options there are for magsafe-compatible wallets, especially since I don't see wireless charging as a compelling feature anyway - its presence or absence is not something I'd base a purchase decision on.
I can feel that. We were spending about $20 to $30 a month on cables, and since we began to swear off lightning we haven't replaced any of our USB C or MagSafe cables. I think we might have one lightning cable left for some first-gen AirPods that refuse to die.
 
I have a feeling this won’t be happening for quite some time.
iPhone 14 Pro may possibly receive USB-C as the iPad Pro 2018 models did, later on the regular iPhone models will receive USB-C. At present trying to upload/offload any video content on the rather capable iPhone 13 Pro is a sluggish task. With the potential of 8K capabilities for the video camera on the iPhone 14 Pro and a starting storage of 256GB it seems the mostly likely of scenarios. Plus it would differentiate the two models given both will have a 6.1 and 6.7” option.
 
I have the 2018 Civic EX-T and have thought about getting this, I guess it works well in civics?
works perfect now... worked terrible when I first got it... of course CarPlay even wired was terrible when I first got my 2017 civic.. a few years of software/firmware updates has fixed any and all issues though.
 
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If Apple is serious about the environment then the main reason not to go 100% wireless is the loss of energy while charging wirelessly. Unless somebody invents a way to come close to the efficiency of wired energy transfer, pure wireless should be a big no.
They’re not serious about it. They’re just trying to save money on packaging. They’re moving all of their manufacturing to China from Taiwan, a country that could not give a flying crap less about green anything. It’s hard to take Apple seriously about anything they say these days.
 
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And that's not the only eco-problem Apple would be inviting upon itself by going portless. Speaking out in 2020 against EU deliberations on requiring a universal port across all mobile devices, Apple said that removing the Lightning port from the ‌iPhone‌ would "create an unprecedented amount of electronic waste." It's not hard to see how this line of argument could be turned against Apple if it launched a portless ‌iPhone‌ in 2022. It would make millions of existing Lightning cables, charging docks, and other adapters in the wild obsolete overnight and ready for the trash.
You say all of this as if Apple would do anything other than argue whatever they need to argue to advance whatever agenda they’re advancing at the time. This site is so cringe at times.
 
Sadly we will have to continue to move around with a cable that all our androïd friends don’t have!
 
I think the auhor makes the mistake of assuming it's an all-or-nothing proposition. Why couldn't it simply be one model of the iPhone 14 range that's portless? This would allow Apple to 'measure the size of the market' for such device and work out any kinks in data-/power-related matters before going full-hilt with portliest iPhones. At the same time, it'll allow those who need a port (now) to continue to have that option.

I'd assume Apple already knows the size of the market as they can see it through usage diagnostics see if port was used for data, CarPlay, charging only or something else. Spoiler alert, putting CarPlay aside 95% of users would be fine w/o a part given they are gifted a puck.

I'd guess 14 portless, 14 pro USB-C is not impossible. Charging will be pain in the ass for the first two years but after that everyone will be running around with a charging puck anyways.
 
Exactly but I'm not arguing against the basic physics. Other efficiencies (improved battery capacity, faster charging times and more power efficient phones) will take up the slack on wireless inefficiencies. All technology balances user convenience with user needs. Wireless is already too convenient for most to be dismissed as inefficient by consumers and they have the final say on what technology is going to stick around.
Referring to the numbers others have posted here, I still think that 25% loss is 5 times too much loss compared to 5% through wired charging. It is just too much if everybody would be forced to waste that much energy, just for the sake of design / convenience.

I at least would like to have the option and do my part wherever I can to be more responsible. And those who want convenience can have it. You can already now go wireless with all your equipment. I just don’t want to be taken the option to keep charging in a more efficient way.

And I have to admit, sometimes the good old “plug in the audio cable” is more straight forward than managing “who’s device uses the speakers wirelessly at the moment”. That’s why I keep some of yay old iPods around for listening to music in my workshop.
 
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Unless Apple is willing to foot the bill to backport the wireless CarPlay to millions of vehicles that only have wired CarPlay, this portless design is not gonna happen anytime soon.
It is simple mathematics. No one in their right mind would replace their vehicle just to accommodate the limitation of their phone.
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There's wireless carplay adapters out there, I have one for my wired aftermarket unit and it works very well. Soon as my car starts my iPhone is doing wireless carplay in a few seconds automatically. So much easier leaving my phone in my pocket and having my maps and music streaming wirelesley without messing about with plugging in cables.

If Apple does go portless they can create a wireless carplay adapter themselves if they really want to, Apple does love their extra dongles to sell so that would be easy money for them.

If Apple insists on keeping lighting at USB 2.0 speed then it's time to ditch the port. Lighting should have gone to at least 3.0 speeds years ago.

To fill up a 1tb iPhone at 2.0 speeds it's about 5hrs, 30 mins at 3.0 speeds or 15 mins if they go 3.2. USB 2.0 is extrmley embarrassing in 2022.
 
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Ever since Apple removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 in 2016, rumors have swirled that Apple eventually aims to ditch the Lightning port next for a completely portless design. Indeed, analysts originally predicted that the highest-end ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 13 would offer a "completely wireless experience." Of course, that didn't happen, but a portless iPhone 14 in 2022 looks just as unlikely, for the following reasons.

iP14-Lightning-Portless-Feature-Gray-Grey.jpg

Apple's longtime goal has been to design an ‌‌iPhone‌‌ with no external ports or buttons for a clean, streamlined device, but significant hurdles still remain if it intends to provide a completely wireless charging and data transfer solution. As far as data is concerned, Apple would need to look beyond Bluetooth because of its bandwidth limitations and rely on a faster wireless protocol that allows iPhone data transfer at a speed that either matches or exceeds Lightning, otherwise the loss of the port would be seen as a backward step.

In fact, Apple has already developed such a protocol. MacRumors recently discovered that Apple Watch Series 7 models are equipped with a module that enables 60.5GHz wireless data transfer when placed on a proprietary magnetic dock with a corresponding 60.5GHz module. Apple probably doesn't advertise this capability because it's for internal use only. For example, Apple Store staff may use the dock to wirelessly restore an Apple Watch. It's unclear how fast its wireless data transfer is, but our understanding is that USB 2.0 speeds up to 480 Mbps might be possible. In other words, Lightning speed.

However, it's not just data transfer that would need to be achieved wirelessly. With no Lightning port, you wouldn't be able to physically connect your iPhone directly to a computer to reset an unresponsive iPhone through recovery mode. Unless Apple came up with an alternative at-home solution – a second iteration of MagSafe with high-speed data transfer capabilities, perhaps – the iPhone would have to go back to the Apple Store every time an over-air update or full device restore failed and borked the device, meaning more irritation and inconvenience for end users.

iphone-13-magsafe-1.jpg

For argument's sake, let's say Apple introduced "MagSafe 2.0" alongside a portless iPhone 14 and solved these data/recovery issues. The existing MagSafe Charger provides up to 15W of peak power delivery (or 12W on the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini) and charges a compatible ‌iPhone‌ less than half as fast as a wired 20W USB-C charger, so any new version of MagSafe would have to ramp up the juice considerably in order to come close to existing cable speeds.

Admittedly, Apple could probably pull off this feat (assuming it has shaken off its AirPower woes). You only have to look at its rivals to see what's already possible. Both the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro support up to 21W and 23W wireless charging speeds, respectively, while the OnePlus 9 Pro boasts 50W wireless charging speeds thanks to its next-generation Warp charger, which is capable of charging a dead phone to full power in 43 minutes. That's faster than an iPhone plugged directly into a 20W charger. Xiaomi is another leader in the field – the 5000mAh battery in its Mi 11 Ultra phone can be charged from 0% to 100% inside 30 minutes, wirelessly.

Yet despite these speed gains in wireless charging, an oft-overlooked problem is its generally poor energy efficiency. In 2020, Eric Ravenscraft of Debugger found that wireless charging uses around 47% more power than wired charging for the same amount of power. Unless Apple surprised us with a new version of MagSafe boasting unprecedented energy efficiency, ditching the Lightning port would surely run counter to its much-touted environmental policy.

And that's not the only eco-problem Apple would be inviting upon itself by going portless. Speaking out in 2020 against EU deliberations on requiring a universal port across all mobile devices, Apple said that removing the Lightning port from the ‌iPhone‌ would "create an unprecedented amount of electronic waste." It's not hard to see how this line of argument could be turned against Apple if it launched a portless ‌iPhone‌ in 2022. It would make millions of existing Lightning cables, charging docks, and other adapters in the wild obsolete overnight and ready for the trash.

Apple-Prefer-Lightning-Over-USB-C-Feature.jpg

Of course, Apple could perhaps satisfy the European Commission by adopting USB-C, but that would just be swapping out one connector for another, committing the company to another cable standard for longer. Apple would effectively be kicking its vision of a portless iPhone further into the long grass. Indeed, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple will retain the Lightning connector on the iPhone for the "foreseeable future," and has no intention of switching to USB-C, which has a lower water specification than Lightning. As Kuo rightly notes, such a move would also be detrimental to Apple's profitable MFi business, which is why he believes Apple is more likely to switch directly to a portless model rather than first change to USB-C.

Given these interlacing obstacles, in spite of some iPhone 14 rumors, we expect Apple's next smartphone‌ to continue to use Lightning ports with the option of ‌MagSafe,‌ until a more viable wireless charging solution comes along that allows for a portless ‌iPhone‌ design without the attendant disadvantages. So when could that be? Frankly, it's hard to say.

Back in 2016, Apple was rumored to be partnering with Energous to deliver a "true wireless charging" solution, but nothing has come from it so far. Apple is still believed to be researching new wireless charging technologies, and with the advent of ‌MagSafe‌, the company is clearly still interested in innovating new ways to power devices without the mess of cables. How long we'll have to wait for one that powers a portless iPhone remains unknown.

Article Link: The iPhone 14 Is Unlikely to Be Portless, Here's Why
I hope the 14 still has a port. That way I can buy one more iPhone before they make the portless iPhone which will make me never want to buy an iPhone again.

Whichever is the last one with a power/data port of some sort will be the one I stick with going forward. A move to USB c would be nice however unlikely. Lightning is pretty miserable and outdated
 
If Apple is serious about the environment then the main reason not to go 100% wireless is the loss of energy while charging wirelessly. Unless somebody invents a way to come close to the efficiency of wired energy transfer, pure wireless should be a big no.
How much energy is that really? About what it takes to heat up the coffee I’m drinking right now? I agree that we should look for ways to avoid wasting energy but not sure that this would have any impact.
 
I'm just pissed that Apple doesn't include the charger with the purchase of their devices. The BS they told us was that they already gave us a bunch of these and they want to have a postive impact on the environment. Then they switched to USB-C....which Apple has NEVER provided a charger to me for this, except for my MacBook.

I see the port as a feature. You can use it or don't. It's not common that folks are like 'give me less features'. If they sell you a phone that is portless, what? Now you can brag about having a phone with one less feature? Yay! I have a portless phone. Look at me! Personally, I just don't understand how some have it in their minds that having a portless phone is some end goal to achieve.
I haven’t used the chargers that came with the phones for year. I have plenty of better chargers all around the house.

They should just give you the option to get the charger when you buy the phone.
 
Said the comfy urban iPhone user. But traveling?, hiking?, bad weather? less clutter? Give me the wire for the next 5 years, at least.
 
Didn't you read about lower water resistance with USB-C? that's a big problem.

Not really sure who and why came up with that, but it’s totally possible to build a water resistent phone with USB-C connector.

Look at the Samsung Galaxy S21: it has USB-C connector and it’s rated IP68 for water and dust resistance (same as iPhone 13).
 
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How much energy is that really? About what it takes to heat up the coffee I’m drinking right now? I agree that we should look for ways to avoid wasting energy but not sure that this would have any impact.
from my post #127
Here is another way to look at it: imagine 1 Billion devices use wireless charging, lose 1kW in a year ( that would be only 3W per day roughly) - that’s a lot of power that needs to be generated somehow/somewhere… the numbers add up.
for an individual, not a lot ...
But what does it take to look at the bigger picture - we need to start at some point ...
 
Not really sure who and why came up with that, but it’s totally possible to build a water resistent phone with USB-C connector.

Look at the Samsung Galaxy S21: it has USB-C connector and it’s rated IP68 for water and dust resistance (same as iPhone 13).
My bad - that came after I read an earlier post on thread about USB-C lesss water resistant No Samsung (at least in last 5 years hands on) exp.
 
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Referring to the numbers others have posted here, I still think that 25% loss is 5 times too much loss compared to 5% through wired charging. It is just too much if everybody would be forced to waste that much energy, just for the sake of design / convenience.

I at least would like to have the option and do my part wherever I can to be more responsible. And those who want convenience can have it. You can already now go wireless with all your equipment. I just don’t want to be taken the option to keep charging in a more efficient way.

And I have to admit, sometimes the good old “plug in the audio cable” is more straight forward than managing “who’s device uses the speakers wirelessly at the moment”. That’s why I keep some of yay old iPods around for listening to music in my workshop.
The inefficiency isn't good but there are so many more factors to consider if we're really talking about energy waste. Billions of cables are manufactured cheaply, replaced often, damage the phone's connector and fill landfills. You don't get any of that waste in energy, shipping, repair and e-waste with wireless. It's almost impossible to calculate which one would come out ahead in terms of overall efficiency but we are heading towards a portless world for all mobile devices so I only expect more efforts to be made to streamline that carbon footprint rather than improving older technology.

Apple wouldn't introduce a new portless iPhone without also introducing new models with lightning ports. They want the early adopters but they wouldn't risk losing the millions of customers like you who don't trust or care about a portless iPhone.
 
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