iPhone 13 once again rumored to be portless, but not all models

iPhone 12 Pro Max review
The iPhone 12 Pro Max could be the last big iPhone with ports (Image credit: TechRadar)

It’s been rumored for a while that Apple is working on a portless iPhone, and it’s looking increasingly like the iPhone 13 might be that phone – or at least one of the iPhone 13 models might be.

That’s because Jon Prosser (a leaker with an admittedly mixed track record) has said on his Front Page Tech YouTube show that Apple plans to make one of the iPhone 13 models portless.

This isn’t a new claim from Prosser, he previously tweeted exactly the same thing back in May, but in reiterating the claim here he’s said that according to his sources this is still Apple’s plan.

The biggest phone could have the fewest ports

He doesn’t say which iPhone 13 model will be the lucky portless one, but assuming the selection mirrors the iPhone 12 range we’d guess it will be the iPhone 13 Pro Max, as that would be the most expensive of them. Alternatively, Apple could make the iPhone 13 mini portless, since removing the ports might allow Apple to make the phone even smaller.

That’s all just speculation for now though, and we would take the claim that any iPhone 13 model will be portless with a pinch of salt.

However, Prosser isn’t the only person to have made this claim. Ming-Chi Kuo (an analyst with a good track record for Apple information) said much the same way back in December 2019, while at least one other source has also suggested that one or more iPhone 13 models will be portless. So we’d say a portless iPhone 13 is looking likely.

Being portless means you’ll rely on wireless charging, which will likely be an annoyance for some people. But it’s something Apple is already making as painless as possible through MagSafe, which uses magnets to keep wireless chargers aligned on the iPhone 12 range. And just like the removal of the headphone port, it’s something people will probably quickly adjust to.

Still, with the iPhone 13 not likely to land until September 2021 it’s very early for rumors, so we can’t be sure of anything yet. TechRadar will be sure to cover all the credible rumors in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned for updates.

Via iMore

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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