Charging ports for iPhones could become history as wireless charging technologies develop more and become highly efficient. Thus, Apple has considered launching the first models of iPhone devices without ports, only with wireless charging.
Apple, however, had some emotions in making this decision because of the legislation in the European Union. It has forced the US company in the past to give up the Lightning cable in favor of the universal loading port, to comply with the EU Directive on the common charger. This law aims to reduce electronic waste caused by the use of different types of charging ports. Thus, all devices sold in the EU must have a common port, and USB-C has become the standard adopted, gradually replacing microUSB.
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Will iPhone 17 Air the first iPhone without charging ports?
The European Union has confirmed that Apple can produce a complete iPhone without ports, including without USB-C, without violating European law. This clarification comes in the context of speculation about iPhone 17 Air, which is announced to be the thinnest Apple model so far. Although the idea of a port phone was conveyed, Apple decided to keep USB-C on iPhone 17 Air devices, initially fearing possible conflicts with EU regulations.
According to Bloomberg, Apple initially considered the full elimination of ports for iPhone 17 Air, only opting for wireless upload and cloud data transfer. However, the company gave up the idea, partly because of the alleged concerns about EU regulations.
The EU Directive does not oblige the producers to include a USB-C port, but only specifies that if a device has a wire loading port, it must be USB-C. Federica Miccoli, a spokesman for the European Commission, confirmed that a port phone, which is based exclusively on wireless charging, is perfectly according to the law, because it does not require a wire loading solution.
The future iPhone without USB-C ports
Although the iPhone 17 Air will keep the USB-C port, the EU confirmation opens the way for a full iPhone without ports in the future. With constantly evolving wireless technology and already aligned standards, Apple could take this step soon, offering a minimalist and innovative design, perfectly legal in the European Union.
Related: Magsafe or USB-C for fast iPhone 15 charging?
Our bet is that at the latest in 2027 Apple will come to the market with the first iPhone device with exclusively by Magsafe.
