'iPhone 17 Air' is Step Towards Slimmer iPhones Without USB-C Ports

Apple considered launching the iPhone 17 Air without a USB-C charging port, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

iphone 16e usb c feature
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said that while Apple ultimately decided against making the iPhone 17 Air its first iPhone model without a charging port, the idea is still on the table for future iPhone models.

He said the iPhone 17 Air will "foreshadow a move to slimmer models without charging ports."

"The iPhone 17 Air represents the beginning of a sea change for Apple," he wrote. "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."

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the first iPhone without a charging port would launch all the way back in 2021, but that did not happen. Apple has shifted from its custom Lightning port to the universal USB-C port on iPhones over the past few years, but the wait for an iPhone without a charging port at all continues.

P.S. Hopefully the iPhone 17 Air will support MagSafe, unlike the iPhone 16e.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17 Air
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

iPhone 17 Air Screen Protector Reveals a Potential Design Difference

Thursday June 26, 2025 11:05 am PDT by
A screen protector that is allegedly designed for Apple's rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model has revealed a potential design difference. Based on an image shared today by a leaker known as Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Air's front camera may be positioned to the left of the Dynamic Island, rather than to the right of it like on iPhone models released over the past few years. It is unclear...

Top Rated Comments

Frankfurt Avatar
15 weeks ago
This is a bad idea... how will you charge such a phone while traveling in cars or on an airplane?
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JohnRckr Avatar
15 weeks ago
Will never buy a phone without connector. Stupid idea only Apple seems to be pushing
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madeirabhoy Avatar
15 weeks ago

doubt they are going to make a phone they can’t sell in the EU. Common charger directive applies to all mobile phones.
it doesnt, I just checked in case, only if they are capable of wired charging.

From the diretive

15. Can radio equipment that can only be recharged via wireless charging be made available on the market without incorporating the harmonised charging solution?

Yes. Since, such radio equipment cannot be recharged via wired charging, it does not need to incorporate the harmonised (wired) charging solution.

Regarding wireless charging, the Commission will promote the harmonisation of wireless charging in order to avoid future fragmentation of the internal market and any negative effects on consumer and the environment. The Commission will monitor the evolution of all types of wireless charging technologies (not only inductive), particularly market developments, market penetration, market fragmentation, technological performance, interoperability, energy efficiency and charging performance.

As stated in recital 13 of the Common Charger Directive, ‘ the Commission should take action towards promoting and harmonising such solutions to avoid future fragmentation of the internal market’ .
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
STOCK411 Avatar
15 weeks ago
I feel like the pro models will HAVE to have the usb c port.

Especially given its been marketed as something you could film a “movie” with.

That means you would have to upload those large files wirelessly which may not always be possible depending on where you are filming.
(Say shooting a movie somewhere in Africa where cell service is not always the greatest)
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazapple Avatar
15 weeks ago
No one wants this.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jensend Avatar
15 weeks ago

"This is a bad idea, Apple is doomed, Apple is lost....no more cd rom, no more floppy, no more headphone jack"....years fast forward...the industry copy paste and people stoped complaining and they adapt
Part of what made those changes bearable is that you could still use an external drive or an adapter. Removing the last physical port removes that option.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)