While the iPhone release in 2020 is rumored to introduce a radical redesign of the flagship device, the following year is also tipped to reengineer Apple's foremost revenue generator. What the Cupertino giant wants to see in 2021 is a handset that requires no wire to fully function, per the latest forecast from an analyst.
The vision that Apple is looking to make happen is the discontinuation of wired accessories, which the company had initially made clear when the audio port was killed off a few years back. In 2021, the Lightning port is next to be retired but not to make way for the USB-C standard.
The grand plan by Apple is to make an iPhone model with full wireless connectivity - for charging, for data transfer, and for pairing with accessories in media consumption mode.
The iPhone 2021 models, according to Ming-chi Kuo, will boast of "completely wireless experience," which initially will be rolled out for the most premium model. That would mean the initiative will be realized in a gradual phase and will get applied across the board in the following years, per the report from 9to5mac.
Although Apple has yet to confirm Kuo's latest claims, CNN called the plan "a significant change" after years of the decision by Apple to keep using the general design template that was first seen with the introduction of the iPhone X.
The report added that Apple's move to go fully wireless would certainly benefit the company's ecosystem. One immediate impact is users are left with little choice but to purchase the AirPods, potentially leading to higher sales for the wireless listening device.
It should be noted that Apple is no stranger to axing technologies that the company deemed were on their way out. Apple was first to ditch the floppy drive and then the optical drive from its computer lines. Eventually, the drives went out of style and can no longer be found on both desktops and laptops, Windows and Mac, being sold in the market.
Going back to the notes shared by Kuo, who has a solid reputation for giving out accurate predictions on Apple products, the analyst said there would be indeed an iPhone SE 2 release. And this model will get an upgrade that, in turn, will be dubbed the iPhone SE 2 Plus.
This specific build could come with a screen size of 5.7-inch though Kuo indicated that Apple engineers could further stretch up to 6.1-inch.
The iPhone SE 2 Plus is tipped to sport a full-screen display but without the Face ID security feature. Instead, unlocking the device will be via Touch ID, and Kuo said it would be integrated on the power button that is located on the side of the handset.
