Don’t Be Shocked If Your Next Phone Has No Ports at All

The future is wireless, and it’s closer than you think

Photo: AFP Contributor/Getty Images

Three years ago, to the horror of consumers, reviewers and investors alike, Apple pulled the plug on the headphone jack. Was this the beginning of the end for Apple? How could they make such a senseless, boneheaded decision?

Yet when the dust settled and the smoke cleared, it was obvious to most that Apple had made the right choice. The company understood that the future was wireless, even if the public didn’t realize it yet. Today, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a phone still boasting the now-antiquated 3.5mm connector.

There’s one port on your phone that hasn’t been removed yet: the charging port. The keyword here is yet — it’s simply a matter of time before the cable is cut on the charger as well.

Is wireless charging ready?

Wireless charging is currently terrible. It’s slow, wastes energy, and hasn’t been widely adopted. Most phones that support the standard are only capable of receiving a maximum power output of 5 Watts (W). In comparison, the newest Samsung Galaxy phones come with a 25W charger in the box, and Samsung sells a ludicrously powerful 45W charger. Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and other manufacturers all tout the ability to replenish their phone’s battery by 50% in only 30 minutes with their respective fast-chargers. In comparison, it takes more than an hour of wireless charging for an iPhone 11 to do the same.

You may remember a product called AirPower — Apple’s attempt at a wireless charging pad. A futile attempt it was: Announced at Apple’s 2017 event and slated for release in 2018, Apple eventually announced in March 2019 that the project was canceled amidst rumors of overheating issues and months of silence.

Apple stated that the charging pad was unable to achieve the company’s “high standards” — in other words, the technology required to make such a product wasn’t reliable enough.

Add on the fact that wireless charging is even slower if you have a case on and the inability to use your phone while it’s charging, it certainly seems like wireless charging isn’t ready yet.