The dream of an iPhone USB-C may be dead, according to the latest research note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The company has no plans to adopt USB-C in future iPhone devices or to integrate a Touch ID sensor in the power button (two technologies that exist in Apple iPad hardware, such as the 2020 iPad Air).
The report, obtained by AppleInsider, explains the reasoning behind Apple’s decision: “We believe that USB-C is detrimental to the profitability of the MFi business and its waterproof specification is inferior to Lightning and MagSafe,” according to Kuo.
So, instead of an iPhone USB-C, Kuo suggests that Apple could jump straight to an iPhone without a port that has long been rumored to rely solely on wireless charging – and specifically Apple’s MagSafe technology – to charge. MagSafe, in particular, would provide an interesting solution to both of the concerns raised by Kuo: by eliminating the doors, MagSafe would be even more waterproof than even Lightning, and Apple still controls the MagSafe standard through its MFi program, ensuring that it will be able to continue to reap the rewards of licensing fees.
However, Kuo also notes that Apple does not believe that the MagSafe ecosystem has reached the point where it can be considered the only charging method for the iPhone. Instead, he predicts that Apple will continue to use its Lightning port “for the foreseeable future.”
Kuo’s report also takes down another persistent rumor for future iPhones: the idea that Apple could introduce a Touch ID sensor on the power button, similar to that offered in last year’s iPad Air refresh. According to Kuo, there is also no deadline for Apple to add this update. An earlier report of Bloomberg, however, notes that Apple is testing a Touch ID scanner integrated directly on the screen for this year’s iPhone line, although it remains to be seen whether it has actually been hacked.
The entire Kuo report contains much more information about Apple’s future iPhone lineup, including a smaller notch and faster refresh rates for this year’s iPhones, rumors of a punctured camera in 2022 and a potential eight-inch foldable iPhone that could be launched as early as 2023.