Since eliminating the headphone jack in 2016, Apple has had similar ambitions for charging ports, and it has long been rumored that the iPhone 13 lineup will include at least one portless model.

In addition to overcoming consumer resistance to a device that relies solely on wireless charging, there are also practical concerns to overcome, such as what happens if the iPhone 13 needs to be recalled, It appears that Apple has taken this issue fully into account and has a number of alternatives under the collective banner of "Internet Recovery."

As the name suggests, Internet Recovery involves restoring a wireless unresponsive iPhone. The first way to do this is for the owner to put their phone into manual recovery mode, and once the recovery mode is activated, it broadcasts a signal to a nearby Mac or PC with iTunes installed. From there, the user jumps to the computer and follows the usual prompts to wirelessly restore the phone.

The second method is similar, but this version puts the iPhone 13 into recovery mode automatically, making it easier for non-tech-savvy users to complete the process. the third method does the same thing, using Bluetooth to both broadcast and download data is reported to be - but this is considered a "last resort" by Apple, thanks to its relative slowness as well as lack of reliability and security concerns.

Therefore, Apple seems to be prioritizing the first two options, but it is still reported to take 2.5 times longer for a test image than via cable, which is not exactly speedy. As such, the company has reportedly instructed its developers to consider a pogo pad for the physical connection, possibly on the back of the SIM card slot. Progress on this issue has reportedly been hampered by the fact that the team working on this issue is not allowed to modify the chassis.

All of this sounds like a lot of hassle to remove a port when there is little consumer demand for the change; the removal of the Lightning port spells the end for wired headphones, display output cables, various power banks, etc.

Does this mean a consumer revolt if Apple announces an iPhone 13 without the port? We shall see, but as it is likely to be the most feature-packed iPhone 13 Pro Max, we would be surprised if Apple enthusiasts were too upset. After all, removing the 3.5mm headphone jack didn't seem to hurt the iPhone 7 and its successors.