USB-C Be Gone? Portless iPhone Still in Apple's Sights
Apple's love affair with minimalism and wireless technology has been a defining characteristic of its product philosophy for years. Now, despite recently transitioning iPhones from Lightning to USB-C, Apple is reportedly still pursuing the holy grail of smartphone design: a completely portless iPhone.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple seriously considered making the upcoming iPhone 17 Air its first port-free device, eliminating the USB-C connector entirely in favor of wireless charging and cloud-based data syncing.
The idea isn't without precedent. Apple has methodically eliminated ports across its product lineup over the years – from removing the headphone jack on iPhone 7 in 2016 to launching the ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook in 2015 with just a single USB-C port. The Apple Watch has relied exclusively on wireless charging since its debut, proving that Apple users can adapt to life without cables.
However, Apple ultimately decided against the portless design for the iPhone 17 Air. The primary roadblock appears to be regulatory concerns: the European Union mandated the iPhone's switch to USB-C and continues to scrutinize Apple's business practices. Removing the USB-C port so soon after being forced to adopt it would likely trigger unwanted regulatory attention.
Despite this, Apple hasn't abandoned its wireless ambitions. According to Gurman's report, if the iPhone 17 Air proves successful with its slimmer approach, Apple "intends to again attempt to make port-free iPhones" and potentially roll out the design philosophy across more models.
A few years ago, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expected a portless iPhone as early as 2021. While that timeline proved optimistic, Apple's underlying vision of a completely wireless device experience appears unchanged – just temporarily delayed.
Popular Stories
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay.
Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for.
Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
Apple today launched a new app called Surveyor, which is designed to allow users to collect data like images of street signs and roadside details to improve Apple Maps.
The app is not public facing and appears to be for use with companies that Apple partners with to assign mapping tasks. Downloading the app and opening it up directs users to "Open Partner App" to choose a task. Tapping on...
Apple is reassuring employees on the Siri team who may be feeling demotivated by the recent Siri delays and the bad press surrounding the company's decisions, reports Bloomberg.
In a Siri team meeting, Apple senior director Robby Walker acknowledged that employees might be feeling "angry, disappointed, burned out and embarrassed" following the Siri delay, but he praised the hard work of...
Apple made a major misstep with the way that it handled the delay of Apple Intelligence features for Siri, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Announcing the delay through a press statement was a bad decision, and Apple should instead have gone through official channels.
Kuo referenced the well-known "Antennagate" PR crisis when the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, and the way that then Apple...
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more.
While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
