It is speculation, so the product of logic and guesswork.
My logic is:
- it’s going to be new phone, as portless causes multiple inside changes. Chinless, screen, glass, metal, is a different phone.
- initially it would cost more. The port costs little, but the changes initially costs more, so net added cost but later a net cost reduction. I think the main change is a copper heat sink on the battery to the chassis, so from the underside its ceramic, Qi loop, copper heatpump to outside metal chassis, battery.
- just one model initially to stop the negative reaction “if portless doesn’t suit you, don’t buy it, buy the other with-port model instead.”
- not a larger phone, as the screen of larger phones cause more rapid power drain, so one of the smaller screen phones.
It is obviously easy to simulate portless today, simply never use the port and see what happens, how long you last. I know plenty who get by for days-weeks portless with wired as backup.
It is then obvious to make a portless prototype and under NDA let some alpha reviewers.
What is not obvious is how well is the feedback. If it’s bad then must be a problem yet to be solved. The only thing I can think of to delay is lack of a good portable wireless charger.