At present, it is very unlikely that the iPhone will completely eliminate the wired charging interface and only use wireless charging in the future, or it is a very distant goal. Apple is indeed actively pushing for wireless, but completely removing the wired interface will face huge challenges in the short term.
We can analyze it from the following aspects:
Trends driving wireless (what Apple is doing):
The popularity of MagSafe: Since the introduction of MagSafe magnetic wireless charging in the iPhone 12 series, Apple has built a strong ecosystem of magnetic accessories. This provides a more convenient and efficient experience for wireless charging (up to 15W) and is a key step towards a "wireless future".
The arrival of the Qi2 standard: The latest Qi2 wireless charging standard is based on Apple's MagSafe technology, and its core is the addition of magnetic alignment. This means that all Android phones and chargers that support Qi2 in the future will have a MagSafe-like experience (magnetic alignment, higher power). By opening up MagSafe technology, Apple is actually pushing the entire industry closer to the magnetic wireless charging standard, paving the way for the wireless ecosystem.
Reduce the "obsession" of interfaces: Apple has a history of removing interfaces (such as headphone jacks) and has always advocated simple design. Although the EU's Unified Charging Interface (USB-C) regulations allow the iPhone to use USB-C, from Apple's point of view, a device without a physical port at all is the ultimate goal.
Why it is not realistic to completely eliminate wired charging in the short term (obstacles faced):
The gap between charging speed and efficiency:
Wired fast charging: The current wired charging power of the iPhone 15 Pro series is close to 30W, and it will be improved in the future. It only takes about 30 minutes to charge from 0 to 50%.
Wireless charging: Even MagSafe or Qi2 currently only supports up to 15W, and due to heating and other issues, the actual peak power maintenance time is short, and the overall charging speed is much slower than wired fast charging. For users who urgently need to replenish power, wired is irreplaceable.
Data transmission needs:
Users need to use a wired connection for high-speed data transfer (such as transferring a large number of photos and videos to a computer), or to restore the device, flash the phone, etc. While wireless transfers (such as AirDrop) are fast, wired connections are still the gold standard for stability, speed, and specific professional workflows.
Professional users such as developers and content creators rely heavily on wired data connections.
Automotive and other use cases:
In the car, wired CarPlay not only provides a more stable connection, but also charges the phone at the same time. Although wireless CarPlay is convenient, it requires the on-board host and may increase the heating and power consumption of the phone.
When using mobile phones (such as playing games and navigating) intensively while charging, the heating of wireless charging will be very serious, resulting in extremely low charging efficiency or even stopping charging, while wired charging has a much smaller impact.
Accessory ecology and user habits:
Hundreds of millions of wired chargers, power banks, docking stations and other accessories cannot be eliminated overnight. Going completely wireless causes huge user inconvenience and backlash.
Wireless charging has requirements for the position of use (needs to be placed on the charging pad), while wired charging allows users to pick up and use it more freely.
However, completely eliminating the wired charging interface means that Apple needs to solve the problem of wireless technology reaching or surpassing wired levels in all aspects such as speed, heat, data and emergency recovery. This is difficult to achieve in the foreseeable technical cycle.
Therefore, the most likely future is that wireless charging becomes the default and preferred daily charging method, while the wired charging interface (USB-C) will remain on the iPhone for a long time as a "safeguard" port for high-speed charging, high-speed data transfer and system recovery. The two will coexist for a long time and complement each other.