Famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting that Apple Inc. will launch five new iPhones in 2020, but in a surprise, he’s predicting that in 2021 the company is planning to launch an iPhone without a Lightning connector.

Kuo made the predictions in a research note from TF International Securities first reported today by Macrumors.

As previously predicted by Kuo, Apple is expected to lead 2020 with the launch of a 4.7-inch iPhone SE 2 during the first half of the year. The phone is said to feature an LED display, use the same A13 processor that powered the iPhone 11 and have a form factor nearly identical to the iPhone 8. The previous iPhone SE was launched in March 2016.

The main 2020 lineup will likely be announced in September based on previous releases and include four new models, a 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch phones and a 6.7-inch phone all with OLED screens. Kuo believes that all four will support 5G with a Qualcomm X55 modem, quashing reports from earlier in the year that Apple was struggling to bring 5G phones to market before 2021.

The four new phones are said to support similar technology, with screen size and camera setup the main differentiating technology. The 5.4-inch phone is predicted to offer two rear-facing cameras and the lower-end 6.1-inch model will have a similar setup. The higher-end 6.1-inch phone along with the 6.7-inch model are predicted to have three rear cameras along with time-of-flight 3D sensing technology.

Visually, the phones are expected to resemble the iPhone 4, complete with a metal frame.

Moving forward is where Apple may make some radical changes, finally dumping its proprietary Lightning cable on its high-end model. The surprise comes in that Kuo believes that instead of replacing it with the industry standard USB-C connection, the new model will have no connector at all.

“Apple will create more differentiation between the highest-end and high-end models,” Kuo said in the research note. “It will benefit the shipment of the highest-end model and iPhone ASP. Among new 2H21 iPhone models, we expect that the highest-end model would cancel the [Lightning] port and provide the completely wireless experience.”

If true, it would be a bold move by Apple. The company had led with innovation in the past, though not all of its attempts to force new standards have paid off. Although wireless charging is quickly become standard in middle- to high-end phones, actual wireless charge access is another matter and cables are still the standard.

Photo: smjb/Flickr