digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Expect Apple to remove the Lightning port from the iPhone, likely starting with the next model, and to justify it using its established "solve and justify" pattern: solve the problem with a new product and explain the removal on stage. Based on the home button and headphone jack precedents, the reviewer speculates (drawing on journalist Mark Gurman's input) that Apple might pair the port removal with MagSafe wireless charging, a possible in-screen fingerprint sensor, and extra internal space for a larger battery, though this is presented as speculation, not a confirmed plan.
Key Points
- Apple's pattern when removing iPhone features is to "solve" the lost function with a new product and "justify" the change on stage, as seen with Face ID after the home button and AirPods after the headphone jack.
- The reviewer's journalist source, Mark Gurman, expects the justification to mirror the headphone jack removal: the port isn't needed, wireless is available, and the space is better used for a larger battery or other components.
- MagSafe is the expected "solve," and the reviewer argues Apple would need to include it in the box to make portless charging viable—something he says would be a huge deal if they failed to do so.
- Remaining port uses, such as data transfer during setup and wired CarPlay for cars without wireless CarPlay, are expected to be handled by wireless alternatives or adapters.
- Buttons are expected to stay for at least a couple more years, since prior button-replacement attempts, like the HTC U12 Plus, were not successful.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: The video gives no step-by-step instructions for the viewer to follow. The only actionable advice is for buyers to watch for whether Apple includes MagSafe in the box, since excluding it would require buying a charger (about $40 to $60, depending on whether MagSafe is included), and for the viewer to share their views in the comments.
- MagSafe is currently a $40 metal accessory, and the reviewer suggests Apple could release a cheaper plastic version, as it does for the Apple Watch charging puck.
- The Meizu Zero (2019) was a fully holeless, buttonless phone, but its Indiegogo campaign got only 39 backers, failed to meet its funding goal, and was canceled.
- The reviewer previously reviewed the HTC U12 Plus (2018), which used pressure-sensitive side buttons with haptic feedback, and found the approach lacking.
- The iPhone 7 became Apple's first water and dust resistant iPhone when it dropped the headphone jack, and its justification also included extra space for a better Taptic Engine and battery.
Bottom Line
Apple's likely next move follows a predictable script: remove the port, replace its function with MagSafe and wireless options, and frame the change as the future, while buttons are likely to remain for now.
