That story about how the iPad lost its second 30 pin port on the side is so maddening. I understand Steve was all about the look of the device, but it would have been so much more useful if it could be docked on its side.
We know from this interview with Schiller [0] that there was a clear price target for the first iPad, set early on at under $500, and that cutting everything superfluous was key in reaching the low price target (nearly all journalists were expecting a much higher price for an Apple tablet at the time)
“Well, if we’re going to get to a price point like that, we need to remove things aggressively.”
[0] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/15/technology/de...
That said, we'll see the end of physical connectors within five years I'm sure, at which point it won't be an issue anymore.
But my assumption is that they will add the same magnetic charging setup to the next iPads that they have on the iPhone 12.
It's convenient AF, sure but it's the type of thing that's "meh" when only a few people use it but a bigger problem when millions adopt. Like K-cups.
a more compelling argument might come from the battery degradation angle. wireless charging accelerates battery wear, leading to a battery or entire device being replaced prematurely.