From the Editor's Desk: Next-gen iPhone rumors all day, every day

Iphone 12 Pro Max Blue Hero
Iphone 12 Pro Max Blue Hero (Image credit: Bryan M. Wolfe / iMore)

It's funny how it's already March, but it felt like last March never ended...funny how that works, right? Anyways, there have been a lot of rumors in the past week, so let's get started.

One of the biggest iPhone 13 rumors that continue to pop up is about a possible port-less iPhone that may need to use "Internet Recovery" for restoring. Okay, I've said it multiple times already, but here I go again — I think an iPhone without a port would absolutely be a terrible idea.

I mean, even with Apple's MagSafe charger, you still only get up to 15W output, instead of the 20W that the iPhone 12 line is capable of with cable charging with the best iPhone 12 chargers. So an iPhone sans a real charging port may take longer to charge, but then there's the issue of how do you restore your data from a backup? The rumor is that the port-less iPhone may use Internet Recovery — there are so many things that could go wrong with that, if it were the case. What happens if your ISP experiences a hiccup? How long would it take if you don't have the fastest speeds available? Would this be able to be done over a cellular connection if you don't have access to Wi-Fi at home? There are just so many possibilities of something going wrong with this method, so I really just hope that Apple doesn't go the port-less route.

On the other hand, there's another interesting one that popped up about a new patent for potential Lightning replacement. This patent shows what still looks like a port on the bottom of an iPhone, but it would be more of an indent rather than a full on port. It would use a magnetic MagSafe-style charger at the bottom, akin to what you had on an old MacBook. This is an interesting concept, and I think it would definitely be better than going full-on port-less. It's unclear from the patent so far if this would have any kind of data transfer capabilities, but I would hope that Apple considers making that possible. Because seriously, who wants to do Internet Recovery with an iPhone?

iPhone XR notch

iPhone XR notch (Image credit: iMore)

One particular rumor that has me pretty hyped up is the possibility of a smaller notch or just no more notch at all. Instead, we could even see a hole-punch concept, which I would honestly welcome. When the iPhone X debuted, I was immediately put-off by the notch — simply put, I thought it looked stupid. Then I got an iPhone XS because the Home Button was going the way of the dodo, and the notch grew on me because I had to accept it. While we may see a slightly smaller notch this year, by next year, it could be gone entirely, and I welcome that with open arms. I mean, I could even go with the hole-punch design that is very common on a lot of Android phones these days too. Really, I like anything besides the notch, and I can't be the only one out there, right?

Anyway, it seems that 'WandaVision' is finally over. Those of you who have been holding off on it should definitely check it out now, since you're able to watch all episodes in one binge session. I am also incredibly grateful that I have finally managed to snag a PS5 about two weeks ago with some help from my husband, so I don't need to deal with the absolute mess that has been PS5 restocks at various retailers anymore. However, I managed to only get the "slim boi" digital version, so I've actually still been using a PS4 Pro since I have been playing Persona 5 Strikers (I got the PS4 Steel Book version) in my free time. Once I beat that game, then I can finally indulge in my PS5.

Anyways, until next week!

- Christine Romero-Chan

Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed.

When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.