Soon a Nokia with NFC, Induction Charging and totally portless

Every single smartphone which is currently available features some sort of port for charging and computer connectivity, most utilize the microUSB for charging and data transfer, whilst all iPhone models feature the Apple’s 30-pin connector – it looks like Nokia could be planning to release a smartphone in the future which has no ports whatsoever.

It’s no secret that Nokia plans to bring NFC connectivity to future smartphones, however a recent article over at Guardian.co.uk highlights the fact that one of Nokia’s design chiefs has revealed that the Finish Company is also paying close attention to wireless charging technologies – could this mean that a portless Nokia Lumia isn’t too far away? It sure looks this way – especially if you read the following quote from Marko Ahtisaari (Nokia’s head of design).

“If you can take away a moving part and make it more beautiful in the placement of the components, we’ll do it, so that’s something where we can certainly keep improving. Take it to the extreme, and why are there any connectors?”

These days people don’t utilize ports as much as they used to, all top-end smartphones feature WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity which both allow for fast data transfer, not forgetting the fact that cloud storage is very popular at the moment and mobile data carriers offer much faster internet connectivity than they did a few years back. So, why do we need USB cables to link our smartphones to our computers? There’s really no need these days.

Some people used to link their smartphones to their computer to update the software phone’s software and perhaps utilize the smartphone’s internet connectivity; however mobile operating systems like Android now allow over-the-air updates and mobile WiFi hotspot functionality. Currently iOS and Windows Phone 7 don’t allow such functions natively, but the hardware is already there so it’s something which could be built into future OS builds. If Microsoft make such progress with WP7 there will be two fewer reasons to connect your Nokia Lumia smartphone to a computer via USB.

Currently all smartphone also feature a 3.5mm headset jack, here consumers can plug-in earphones/headphones and hands-free kits, but there are wireless options available. NFC headphones and headsets are beginning to take off and Bluetooth hands-free kits have been around for years, so despite the fact that a 3.5mm headset is convenient it is by no means a necessity.

Finally let’s talk about wireless charging. CES 2012 showed that wireless power solutions are making strides, albeit slowly, but we remember when 3D technology and dual-core processors coming to smartphones was laughed at, so it’s not out of the question.

Would you like a portless smartphones? Or do you think current ports are convenient?

 Via: Product review