Update: New rumors that the iPhone 14 Pro will feature a USB-C connection.

It is beginning to look like some of the most rumored iPhone 13 changes may miss Apple's next smartphone.

According to a new report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (seen by AppleInsider), Touch ID, USB-C connectivity, and a portless design are no longer expected in the iPhone 13. This could portray the next iPhone to be an iterative upgrade of the iPhone 12.

We have come to accept that the iPhone uses its own Lightning connector, but given the proliferation of USB-C chargers, swapping to a USB-C connector would still make charging the phone more convenient.

Apple is making the transition to USB-C with the iPad Pro and other devices, but the iPhone series is holding firm to the Lightning connector.

Apparently, there are two reasons why the iPhone 13 will not transition from the Lightning port. Moving to a generic USB-C connector would mean that Apple would lose the licensing fees it gets from "Made For iPhone" peripherals that use the Lightning connector. In addition, the Lightning port is more secure against water ingress than USB-C, making the iPhone less waterproof.

However, you are not stuck with the Lightning port forever. As we have heard before, Apple will eventually transition the iPhone to MagSafe wireless charging only, but it will be after iPhone 13, despite rumors that this year's model will be portless. [At this point, the MagSafe ecosystem is not mature enough, so iPhones will continue to use the Lightning port for the foreseeable future.

To make matters worse, Kuo also poured cold water on another smoldering rumor, the reintroduction of Touch ID.

We had expected a new Touch ID sensor, either the same as the one found on the iPad Air's power button or a new under-display version similar to those found on many Android flagship phones. However, Kuo said this is not Apple's plan.

"We believe that if the iPhone were to adopt a power button with a Touch ID sensor, the user experience would be greatly enhanced. However, at this time, we do not have a timeline for when we will adopt this new specification," Kuo explained.

The iPhone 13 (or possibly called iPhone 12S) is still said to bring some upgrades. Other rumored new features include a dynamic 120Hz display, a 1TB storage option, and better camera sensors and zoom capabilities. This could make the already impressive iPhone 12 Pro even better.

Based on previous iPhone releases, we can expect the iPhone 13 to arrive around September of this year.

Given that Apple has been consistently producing impressive, if not innovative, smartphones lately, we can expect that the iPhone 13 could be high on our list of best smartphones. However, we can't help but wish Apple would make a few more major improvements like Touch ID and USB-C.