Elon Musk’s electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc. TSLA has unveiled a portless two-seater robotaxi product before Apple Inc. AAPL could release its long-rumored portless iPhone.
What Happened: On Thursday, Musk introduced the Cybercab, a dedicated robotaxi product featuring eye-catching butterfly doors that open upwards — but the real showstopper wasn’t just its sleek design or its surprisingly affordable price point of under $30,000.
The absence of a traditional charging port in favor of inductive charging technology marks a significant leap forward in electric vehicle design.
Inductive charging, also known as wireless charging, has been slowly gaining traction in the consumer electronics market for years. Companies like Palm, Nokia, Samsung, and Apple have all contributed to the popularization of this technology in smartphones and wearables.
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However, Tesla’s decision to implement it in a full-scale vehicle represents a major escalation in its EV adoption.
This move is particularly noteworthy when compared to Apple’s gradual transition away from physical ports in its devices.
While Apple has made headlines by removing the headphone jack from iPhones and adopting USB-C across its product line, the company has yet to produce a completely portless smartphone.
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Why It’s Important: Previously, in 2022, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is unlikely to adopt portless technology for its iPhones anytime soon, citing the limitations of current wireless technologies and the underdeveloped state of the MagSafe ecosystem.
Later in the year, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee said that while Apple plans to comply with the EU’s USB-C mandate, the tech giant could introduce wireless technology.
“They’ll comply. But if it (a smartphone) doesn’t charge via wired charging at all, then they don’t need a USB-C port. The real question is, will MagSafe be advanced enough by then,” he stated.
Apple eventually transitioned from its proprietary Lightning port to USB-C charging ports for the first time with its iPhone 15 last year, but the rumors of a portless iPhone continue to surface.
Earlier, it was also reported that Apple obtained a patent, suggesting the use of a MagSafe-like charger for its rumored electric car. The patent described a charging station that could move longitudinally, allowing a vehicle to start charging immediately upon parking.
However, in February earlier this year, Cupertino scaled back its plans for the Apple Car and decided to halt its electric vehicle development project, known as Titan.
Tesla Robotaxi, Courtesy Tesla
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