Turns out, Apple can make a completely portless iPhone if it wanted to, and the EU actually allows it.
iPhone Can be Portless if Apple Wanted it to, But Will it Happen this Year?
The Common Charger Directive in the EU states that devices that support wired charging must have a USB-C port. But that’s not a requirement for every single device.
What this means is, Apple can make a completely portless iPhone if it wanted to, and there will be no legal issues whatsoever, according to 9to5Mac.
Due to this rule, Apple was forced to drop Lightning for USB-C across its product lineup, starting with the iPhone 15.
A recent report said Apple did consider taking the portless route with the iPhone 17 Air but went against the idea. But if it does decide to go portless, it can totally do it.
But should it?
I’m all up for removing features from a device if you get something in return. For example, removing the USB-C port means other components handling the port will need to go as well, which in turn means more space for a bigger battery.
If the battery size remains the same, then there’s no point in removing something that’s extremely useful on a daily basis.
But, having said that, I believe a portless iPhone is definitely happening, even though there’s not much evidence of it.
Will it happen this year? Unlikely.
Apple will first ease people into the thin new design of iPhone 17 Air and then start taking things away. Who knows, we might get lucky (or unlucky?) in a couple of years’ time?
