These Are the World’s First Smartphones with Zero Ports (And They’re Not iPhones)

A completely port-less future seems like the logical conclusion of Apple’s recent design direction. But a pair of Chinese OEMs may have beat Apple to that future. China-based smartphone manufacturers Meizu and Vivo have each recently unveiled smartphones that lack any sort of ports. Or really, any sort of external openings at all.

Meizu Zero

The first device, the appropriately named Meizu Zero, is an OLED smartphone with a 5.99-inch display. It will sport an integrated fingerprint sensor, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, a dual-lens camera with 12- and 20-megapixel sensors, and a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.

That’s all well and good, but it’s the Meizu Zero’s complete lack of ports that makes it notable. The device doesn’t have a charging port, a SIM card slot, or even speaker grilles. In their place, the Meizu Zero relies on wireless charging, an embedded SIM, and piezoelectric transducers.

Interestingly, the device’s 18-watt wireless charging module may just be the fastest on the market when it debuts. The piezoelectric transducers, which apparently turn the device’s screen into a speaker, is also pretty unique.

It’s not clear when the device will hit the market, or what price point will be attached to it.

Vivo Apex 2019

Vivo, not to be outdone, is also slated to unveil its own port-less device at Mobile World Congress next month, Android Central reported.

That device, the Apex 2019, will sport a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display, a Snapdragon 855, and 12GB of RAM. It will also be Vivo’s first 5G device, and like the Meizu Zero, it will lack a charging port or speakers.

In place of speakers grilles, it will use something called “body soundcasting.” Instead of a standard charger, the Apex 2019 will have a rear-mounted magnetic connector — which will also be used for data transfer.

The Apex 2019 is a conceptual product, however. Vivo also didn’t detail its camera specifications — or explain why it lacks a front-facing camera.

Is the ‘End of Ports’ Near?

Apple was likely the first smartphone manufacturer to kick off the port-killing spree we see today. Back in 2016, it made the controversial choice of nixing the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Other OEMs have followed suit (although there are still a number of holdouts). But, of course, Apple’s current devices still have a charging port and speakers — and we haven’t seen any indication that those are going away anytime soon.

Either way, whether or not the Meizu Zero or the Vivo Apex 2019 look anything like Apple’s vision of a wireless future remains to be seen.