iPhone 17 Air: Did Apple want to build its first jack-less smartphone?
Apple wanted to realize its dream of complete wirelessness in one of the upcoming iPhone models. Did this have anything to do with regulation?
Apple logo with USB-C cable: now in (almost) all Apple devices thanks to the EU.
(Image: kurgenc / Shutterstock.com)
Steve Jobs did not like cables, according to the legend – and this is said to have influenced Apple. The iPhone manufacturer was therefore one of the first cell phone manufacturers to remove the jack socket for headphones, something that other companies followed suit. With the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, Apple is now said to be planning to launch its first cell phone without any connections at all.
The Apple Watch shows the way
Bloomberg recently wrote that this was one of the ideas for the ultraslim device, which is expected in September. This would also have done away with the USB-C port and charging and synchronization would have been wireless – via MagSafe (power) and Wi-Fi or 5G (data). After all, this is nothing new at Apple, as the Apple Watch, for example, has long been charged using a wireless charging puck and does not have a single socket. However, Apple is said to have decided against this. One of the main reasons is said to have been to avoid a new conflict with EU regulations, which had designated USB-C as the standard interface.
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Nevertheless, the report continues, the iPhone 17 Air represents a fundamental change at Apple towards a new industrial design. “Apple executives say that if this new iPhone is successful, the company intends to try again to make port-free iPhones and shift more of its models to a slimmer approach,” according to Bloomberg. However, previous form factor changes – especially the two iPhone mini models 12 and 13 – sold worse than hoped. Some users will also be waiting for the first iPhone foldable, which should finally be released in 2026 or 2027.
The EU has no problem with wireless
However, Apple's concerns about a USB-C-less iPhone appear to be unfounded. When asked this week, the EU Commission also stated that according to the “Common Charger Directive”, only devices that are charged via a wired connection require a USB-C port.
If this power supply is missing completely, MagSafe & Co. are also permitted. But perhaps Apple wanted to be overly cautious, as Brussels now makes the micro-manager for the iPhone.
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