The iPhone X almost didn't have a Lightning port, but Apple eventually realized removing it wouldn't be feasible, a new report alleges.
The news comes in the wake of Apple's lack of updates regarding AirPower, a wireless charging pad that powers up multiple Apple devices in one go, announced in September 2017 alongside the iPhone X.
Apple has said very little, if at all, about the product since its unveiling. What's taking so long? Well, as Bloomberg reports, the company's engineers are toiling away to address its many problems. One of the challenges is to make sure the charging pad doesn't overheat. Another challenge is the sheer complexity of its circuitry, says people familiar with the development.
AirPower Release Date
Apple previously said the device was going to be released in 2018 but didn't specify when. Engineers, however, hoped to launch the charger by June, which is obviously not going to happen anymore. The new goal is to have it ready on or before September, according to one of Bloomberg's sources.
The iPhone X Almost Didn't Have A Lightning Port
Ultimately, Apple hopes to make iPhones that charge wirelessly and has no ports whatsoever. The company was close to actually removing the Lightning port from the iPhone X but knew it wasn't possible at the time given a number of reasons.
First, wireless charging, even today, is still relatively slower than traditional wired charging. Second, not everyone has a wireless charging pad, or at least has easy access to it. Sure, Apple could have included one with every iPhone, but that would have significantly raised the price of the device, which is already pretty expensive as it is.
The Disadvantages Of Not Having Ports
A few years ago, it was reported that Jony Ive, design boss at Apple, wants ultimately to create an iPhone that resembles a "single sheet of glass." Coupled with Apple repeatedly expressing its ambitions to create a "wireless future," the removal of the Lightning port should come as no surprise. Even still, it'll probably take a few years before the company achieves this. After all, the iPhone can't look like a single sheet of glass because of its love-it-or-hate-it notch.
Removing the Lightning port would make sense, but it will probably be controversial. After all, the port isn't just used for charging alone. It's also for transferring data to and from a Mac or PC. It should be noted, however, that data transfer is possible via Wi-Fi.
Would you like Apple to remove the Lightning port? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
