Next iPhone May Ditch the Lightning Port

As is the case every year, we begin to unravel the rumours of the upcoming iPhone as things edge closer and closer to its inevitable reveal. While the whispers have been few and far between in 2018, there’s one rumour which seems to be gaining some traction: Apple will remove the Lightning port on the next iPhone.

The information comes via Bloomberg, who, citing unnamed “people familiar with the company’s work,” say that Apple had previously considered removing the Lightning port on the iPhone X, however did not proceed due to issues with its AirPower wireless charger.

“Apple designers eventually hope to remove most of the external ports and buttons on the iPhone, including the charger,” explains Bloomberg. “During the development of the iPhone X, Apple weighed removing the wired charging system entirely. That wasn’t feasible at the time because wireless charging was still slower than traditional methods. Including a wireless charger with new iPhones would also significantly raise the price of the phones.”

It’s not surprising then to think that this omission could come with the next iPhone, as Apple has been moving towards a fully wireless experience with their flagship device for quite some time.

Using the Qi charging standard, Apple is said to be optimising and squashing bugs found in its AirPower charger, which has the ability to power three devices (ideally an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods), allowing for a truly disconnected Apple stable of products.

Are you a fan of wireless charging? Check out our feature where we look at the 5 biggest benefits of wireless charging!