Apple may be preparing to eliminate the charging port from future iPhones, according to a new report from 9 to 5 Mac.
The company is said to have considered making the iPhone 17 Air completely port-less, though it ultimately decided against it for now.
A port-free iPhone would rely entirely on wireless charging via electromagnetic induction, removing the USB-C port currently used for charging and data transfer.
According to tech insider Mark Gurman, while the iPhone 17 lineup, expected in September, will still include USB-C, a port-less iPhone “may only be a matter of time.”
Apple was required to adopt USB-C charging on iPhones due to a 2022 EU law, which mandated a common charging standard for electronic devices.
However, the regulation does not prohibit fully port-less designs, as confirmed by an EU Commission spokesperson.
The rumoured iPhone 17 Air, also called the iPhone 17 Slim, is expected to be a lighter, thinner device with less powerful hardware, aligned with Apple’s MacBook Air branding.
While a port-less iPhone won’t debut this year, reports suggest Apple is testing the concept for future models.
Apple has yet to comment on the speculation.
