Rumours that the iPhone 13 will be losing its Lightning port have been running wild in the lead up to its expected 2021 release. And now leaked intel is proving all that speculation about a portless smartphone could be true.
New details have emerged about a new recovery and software installation system. Apple is expected to use on a "portless variant" of the iPhone 13, meaning it will lose its Lightning cable connection, as seen on Appleosophy (via TechRadar).
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The article describes the new recovery methods so users won't have to ship their device to Apple every time they need information restored, involving recovery over the internet via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Instead of using a Lightning cable to connect an iPhone to a laptop or Mac, in order to restore its factory settings in case its corrupted, the wireless method connect to a device without the need of a physical connection. Once that's sorted, there would be no reason for a Lightning port to exist on the iPhone 13. Except for appeasing to those who prefer wired support.
Appleosophy stated this is Apple's way of learning from its mistakes of the Apple Watch, which need to be shipped in for software repair as there is no way or resetting it. This wireless method would definitely make restoring and fixing Apple devices hugely more accessible to users.
However, the wireless recovery method is apparently still in its early stages, as there are a host of potential issue that come up (i.e. remote hacking, wireless issues) that would need to be addressed. While the iPhone 13 is certainly a contender to use the new method, it may not arrive until further down the line.
As the hugely successful iPhone 12 also brought MagSafe, a way of wirelessly charging the smartphone, there wouldn't be much need for a Lightning charging cable to be plugged in. Although, it would be nice if Apple provided a MagSafe charger for the possible portless iPhone 13 this time.
Of course, as always, take this with a punch of salt. The rumour mill is forever churning out iPhone 13 speculations and beyond, from boosting the iPhone screen's refresh rates up to 240Hz, to an all-new foldable iPhone designed by LG.
