Apple could have removed the USB-C port from its upcoming iPhone 17 Air without risking any legal issues in the European Union. The European directive on "one-time charging," famous for having imposed USB-C on all smartphones that can be charged by cable, actually provides a clear exception for completely wireless devices. "Since this radio equipment cannot be recharged by a cable, it does not need to integrate the harmonized wired charging solution [USB-C],” confirms Federica Miccoli, spokesperson for the European Commission, questioned by the site 9to5Mac.
A smartphone without any ports? Apple can do it
This clarification removes a persistent ambiguity. If a smartphone offers cable charging, it must imperatively use the USB-C port. But if it completely abandons wired charging, as Apple has considered, it falls completely outside the scope of the directive. In short, if the Californian company one day wants to market a phone that charges exclusively by induction (Qi or MagSafe technologies), it has every right to do so.
The European Commission, however, is closely monitoring the progress of wireless technologies to prevent future fragmentation. Brussels indicates that it will "monitor the evolution of all wireless charging technologies," without imposing a specific standard for the time being. A sign that In the medium term, a possible harmonization of wireless technologies could emerge.
Even if the legal path were clear, Apple seems to have backed away from the idea of a smartphone entirely devoid of ports. According to specialist journalist Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the iPhone 17 Air, a model expected to be the big new Apple's launch next fall, will indeed retain the USB-C port. The reason given is mainly strategic: not to upset the European Union, which has campaigned for years to impose this universal connection.
The iPhone 17 Air, expected to replace the "Plus" model in the consumer range, should make an impression with its exceptional thinness, possibly under 6 mm. This required Apple to work extensively on the layout of the internal components, notably the screen and the battery. Despite With a minimum thickness, battery life would remain comparable to other models.
Among the necessary compromises, Apple would have planned to offer only a single 48-megapixel photo sensor and a standard A19 chip (the A19 Pro version being reserved for the iPhone 17 Pro). Another new feature: the disappearance of the SIM tray in favor of the eSIM, a decision already adopted by Apple in the United States for several years, but potentially problematic in China.
Finally, after considering a larger 6.9-inch model, Apple would have opted for a more modest 6.6-inch diagonal to avoid any structural problems, a painful memory of the famous "bendgate" of the iPhone 6 Plus. An iPhone without a physical port therefore still remains an idea at Apple, but Brussels has just offered a clear framework if the Californian firm wishes to take the plunge in the coming years.
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