Will Apple ditch USB-C charging for good with iPhone 17? What latest leaks show

Dubai: Apple may be gearing up to release its thinnest iPhone ever this fall, but tech insiders are asking one burning question: Will the iPhone 17 Air eliminate the USB-C charging port altogether?

Multiple leaks and design mock-ups suggest that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air, expected to debut in September 2025, could ditch the USB-C port entirely in favour of a fully wireless experience using MagSafe and Qi2 charging. If true, the device would represent Apple’s boldest shift yet toward a completely portless iPhone.

But there’s a catch: European Union regulations. As of 2024, all small electronic devices sold in the EU must support USB-C charging—a rule that forced Apple to abandon its proprietary Lightning port in favour of USB-C in the iPhone 15 and 16 models. The iPhone 17 Air may push back against this mandate—but can Apple get away with it?

Dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, the upcoming model is expected to be just 6.25mm thick, making it nearly 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple reportedly plans to remove several components to achieve this design, including the physical SIM card slot, one of the speaker grilles, and possibly the USB-C charging port.

Leaked dummy units shared by well-known Apple leakers show a noticeably off-centre charging port—possibly hinting that the port may be removed altogether in the final design.

Insiders suggest the phone will include:

While Apple is clearly preparing for a portless future, EU compliance could delay that plan. Under current regulations, Apple must use USB-C unless the device charges wirelessly at equal or superior efficiency.

To that end, Apple has already updated MagSafe to support Qi2 wireless charging, which could be the company’s way of complying—without physically including a port. However, reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggest that Apple may ultimately play it safe and include USB-C in at least one global variant of the iPhone 17 Air.

Still, Apple executives haven’t ruled out a fully wireless future. If the iPhone 17 Air succeeds in the market, the portless design may return in future models—especially if Apple can persuade regulators that the MagSafe ecosystem offers a viable USB-C alternative.

Apple is no stranger to removing features ahead of its competitors. The company previously phased out the headphone jack in 2016 and the physical home button in 2017, both of which sparked initial controversy but later became industry trends.

With the iPhone 17 Air, Apple could be betting that design minimalism, wireless convenience, and regulatory gray areas are enough to push the portless agenda forward—even if it ruffles some feathers in Brussels.