Portless iPhones without USB-C closer to reality as EU clears the path
Apple has only just recently fully ditched Lightning in favor of USB-C, but there might be some more charging chicanery on the way.
Specifically, it sounds like Apple wants to eventually make at least one iPhone model that doesn't have a charging port at all. The big obstacle there would most likely be the European Union, which is the entity that forced Apple to adopt USB-C to begin with. However, according to 9to5Mac, that won't be a problem. An EU spokesperson confirmed to 9to5Mac that Apple can legally sell a device with no charging port in EU countries.
As for when Apple would actually do this, no one can say for sure. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple considered making the rumored iPhone 17 Air portless, but ultimately decided against it. Just this past week, dummy models for this year's new iPhones leaked, which included a new thin model thought to be the Air. In other words, it doesn't seem like this is something anyone needs to worry about for 2025.
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But for 2026 and beyond, this is yet another weird Apple thing to look out for.
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.
