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Apple’s ‘iPhone 17 Air’ will not feature a port-free design, in part to assuage EU regulators

MacDailyNews

Mar 17

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When designing the “iPhone 17 Air,” a new slimmed down iPhone model expected to arrive later this year, Apple originally intended it to be its first completely port-free iPhone. That would mean no USB-C connector, going all-in on wireless charging and syncing data via iCloud. But, the company decided that was still a bridge too far in 2025.

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The world is probably ready for this change. Already, iPhone users can get around fine without plugging in their phone, whether it’s to charge, connect to their car or download information. The Apple Watch exclusively charged wirelessly since the beginning, so many users are already accustomed to the idea.
Still, removing the option would no doubt be controversial, as such changes often are. Some Apple users still grumble about the iPhone’s switch to a Lightning port more than a decade ago (though the later shift to USB-C sparked few complaints)…
But Apple ultimately decided not to adopt a port-free design with the new iPhone, which will still have a USB-C connector. One major reason: There were concerns that removing USB-C would upset European Union regulators, who mandated the iPhone switch to USB-C and are scrutinizing the company’s business practices.
But that’s just the case for now. The iPhone 17 Air represents the beginning of a sea change for Apple, ushering in a new industrial design that accompanies this year’s revamped iOS. Apple executives say that if this new iPhone is successful, the company intends to again attempt to make port-free iPhones and move more of its models to this slimmer approach.

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MacDailyNews Take: Bureaucrats’ unintended consequences never fail to retard progress.

As we wrote over half a decade ago:

A port-free iPhone would be perfect for significantly increasing water resistance while also saving space that could be used for more battery or other components – it’s a win-win! — MacDailyNews, December 5, 2019

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