Apple’s 2021 flagship iPhone will reportedly kill off the Lightning port, but USB-C fans (like myself) shouldn’t get too excited. According to Kuo’s note, Apple won’t replace the proprietary port with USB-C; rather, it will rely on an entirely wireless experience for charging and syncing.
The change would be a big one for Apple, which has relied on the Lightning port for all of its phones since it was first introduced on the iPhone 5 in 2013. And while modern-day iPhones are certainly less reliant on physically syncing data, going to a fully wireless model would have huge ramifications across the tech industry, with everything from charging cable companies to headphone manufacturers being impacted. Obviously, we’re still a long way out from 2021 — Apple’s 2020 iPhones aren’t even here yet — but Kuo does have a good reputation for predicting Apple’s plans, meaning it’s entirely possible that this is what the future of iPhones will look like.
There’s also a lower-end dual-camera model, similar to the standard iPhone 11. But unlike the current lineup, that dual-camera model will also come in two sizes. According to Kuo, the new model (let’s call it the iPhone 12) will feature a 6.1-inch size, similar to the current iPhone 11, but it’ll also come in a smaller 5.4-inch size.