iPhone Air was almost portless, but concerns about EU regulations prevented it
Apple had originally planned to make the iPhone 17 Air the first completely wireless model, but has apparently changed its mind on that front.
The future iPhone Air was originally planned to rely on wireless charging only.
A new report claims that Apple considered making one of its future iPhones completely port-free. The thinner model, for now called the iPhone 17 Air, could have gone without a USB-C port -- but Apple has since backed off the idea.
Ultimately, Apple is said to have decided to include a USB-C port for charging after all. This is said to have been done to appease potential concerns from European Union regulators.
The weekly Power On newsletter from Bloomberg suggests on Sunday morning that Apple originally had bigger plans for the alleged iPhone Air, at one point testing a thinner model with a 6.9-inch screen. This was withdrawn for fears of the product being too easy to bend.
Apple has long sought to find a balance between a thinner and lighter iPhone while avoiding making the device too vulnerable to damage. Apple was criticized when it received reports in 2014 that the iPhone 6 Plus could be bent when stored in a tight pocket.
Apple has allegedly settled on a design for the iPhone Air that features a 6.6-inch screen. This would be roughly two millimeters thinner than the current iPhones -- reducing its thickness by about a fifth.
Despite the reduced mass, and design compromises, the iPhone Air is likely to have few sacrifices. It should boast around the same battery life as similar iPhone models thanks to a new battery design.
The thinner and lighter iPhone Air is expected to make its debut as part of the iPhone 17 lineup in fall 2025.
Rumor Score: Possible
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
hmmmm, strange thought…
The EU needs to back off. I am all for regulation, especially when it comes to consumer protection, but what the truck do they believe is the end game for all their frivolous actions ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If there are reservations about EU regulations and they feel it would be problematic then all they have to do is not release it in the EU or release with a port.
That said, the common charging initiative might reach other markets and eventually lead to the same doubts.
I definitely wouldn't get a phone that could only charge wirelessly if it was limited to current conductive charging.
If you look at the recently released Oppo Find N5 foldable, it’s basically as thin as it can possibly be. (Specifically: the half with the USB-C port is basically as thin as it can possibly be.) It’s just ever-so-slightly thicker than a USB-C port. The only way to go meaningfully-thinner would be forgo the USB-C port entirely.
If this iPhone is specially suppose to be the thin phone (that’s the reason why it is being made), then removing the port will help to accomplish that goal.
A phone without ports wouldn't cut it for me. I love MagSafe/induction charging but use it sparingly and not when the phone is much below 80%. The heat generated by the slower, less efficient MS charging is much more than that of cable charging. My phone can (rarely) be down to 40% and cable charging will cause almost no heat at all. I can charge via MS in my car but usually don't. The MS mount serves as a convenient mount only, most of the time.
A portless phone would be a typical 'how cool is that' product but not much for me beyond that. I do like that newer iPhones have a dedicated Charge to 80% toggle. I like that a lot more than the prior (?) Optimize charging toggle.
I'm surprised at all the naysayers here, Apple has always pushed us into the future, and charging ports aren't going to be in it. I was hoping for a portless, perhaps even buttonless phone this year if they could pull off force/capacitive button and haptics. The 'air' moniker is particularly relevant vis-a-vis pushing the envelope. Hopefully we'll get that version in 2026, although now that's probably not going to happen because the focus will be on foldables, so 2027 it is I suppose.
The directive states that the requirement for charging is only "if the radio equipment concerned is capable of being recharged by means of wired charging" - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202402997
It would be nice to have at least 1 iPhone without to see if the idea is viable.
I would like to see it as an option as a consumer test product. Say limited numbers, pre order only. Then see how they go.
lean in to the Magic Mouse vibes put the and put the usb c port in to the camera bump.