Apple soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo has a track record of accurate predictions. His recent investor note focuses on what the 2020 and 2021 lines of iPhones might look like, and one prediction stands out: Kuo believes that there will be at least one completely wireless iPhone in the 2021 line-up. No Lightning port, no USB-C port, no place to plug in cables of any kind.
If you are a normal iPhone user, this is an awesome idea. No cables. Yeah! However, this is horrible news for any kind of prosumer or professional user of iPhones who use or build capabilities that extend the iPhone with dongles. A fully wireless iPhone would relegate value-added attachments and dongles from reliable hardwired connections to the never-guaranteed-to-work realm of unlicensed wireless spectrum. Not a big deal for audio or even most video applications, but if you’re thinking about medical monitoring or industrial applications, this potential consumer perk will present a new set of challenges (and opportunities, of course).
If you were thinking USB-C is the future… think again. Kuo is usually right. How would your digital product roadmap change if you believed that, within three years, all value-added iPhone accessories had to be wireless? It might be a good time to put that question on the agenda.
Take the Survey
If the survey is not visible, click here.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.