The 2020 iPhone lineup may be getting crowded

The most interesting bit of information here is the 2021 models will strip out the Lightning port in favor of wireless charging and connectivity.

iPhone design

Yup, the 2020 iPhone rumors are in full swing and the 11 series is still warm. But this is the way of mobile technology news. Some users are still wrestling with a 2019 purchase but here we are talking 2020 iPhone models. Generally, this very early news and leaks come from a handful of sources, in this case, Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo is one of the regular sources for future Apple iPhone news and has a generally good track record. If Kuo’s predictions are right then the 2020 iPhone lineup is going to gain another model with 2021 seeing yet another addition. This news is very interesting indeed as Apple generally doesn’t crowd its devices with too many options.

The most interesting bit of information here is the 2021 models will strip out the Lightning port in favor of wireless charging and connectivity. Instead of providing a USB-C port, like the iPad Pro, Apple is basically taking away all physical connections. Kuo indicates that the removal of the Lightning port in favor of wireless will initially only happen on the high-end iPhones. Here’s a quick snapshot of what else Kuo is reporting on the 2020 iPhone lineup as well as 2021:

2020 iPhone
The iPhone 11 series
  • A new 5.4″ model will be introduced with dual-rear camera’s
  • One 6.1″ “lower-end” model with the same dual-rear camera’s as the 5.4″
  • One 6.1″ “high-end” model with a triple camera system and ToF 3D technology
  • One 6.7″ with the same triple camera system and ToF technology
  • A new 4.7″ SE 2 as a basic entry-level
  • 2021 iPhones: High-end models will have no ports and a new SE 2 Plus model will be introduced

So it seems the 2020 iPhone lineup is going to see 5 total devices, which seems out of character for Apple. It could be the company is making moves to capture sales from an untapped market segment. By offering even cheaper devices the company could capture the segment that just does not want to pay US$700+. There’s no indication of pricing at this point, so we’re speculating that some of these devices will be even cheaper. The question now is, will offering cheaper iPhones dilute the brand’s “luxury” appeal which in turn will affect the brand’s appeal. Only time will tell.

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