If it ain't broke, don't fix it is a motto that many tech companies stick with, and it's one that's served Apple well since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007.
There's been a yearly rollout of new models since then, and as we gear up for the reveal/launch of the iPhone 17, tech fans are anxiously awaiting what's coming next.
There were some critiques that the iPhone 16 didn't live up to its potential, with one major drawback being the much-hyped release of Apple Intelligence and the fact it was delayed. Even recently, Apple was forced to remove an advert after it delayed the upcoming Siri 2.0 indefinitely. We've heard plenty of whispers about what's on the way for the iPhone in 2024, especially when it comes to the mythical iPhone 17 Air.
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Looking even further ahead, we've head about supposed folding iPhones.... complete with a jaw-dropping price tag.
As Apple continues to innovate, one supposed insider has warned that a major overhaul could remove charging ports. 9to5Mac confirms that it's possible to make an iPhone without a USB-C charging port, despite the EU's Radio Equipment Directive 2022/2380 mandating that wired charging devices have to use the port as a universal charging option.
Bloomberg's Marc Gurman suggested that Apple was looking at port-free iPhones, but ultimately, decided against it for the iPhone 17.
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9to5Mac says that it heard Apple was veering away from portless iPhones because it was worried it would be brought into conflict with the EU, although it's said that removing ports should be completely legal.
Apple is no stranger to portless devices, with the Apple Watch being wirelessly chargeable since its inception. The iPhone was forced to adapt to the USB-C standard by a January 1 deadline, and even though Apple was still using the old Lighting ports for the iPhone SE and the iPhone 14, they were removed from sale shortly before the deadline.
It was thought that the Common Charger Directive applied to all devices, but technically, it's only if something has a wired charging port that it has to be USB-C. The site confirmed the news with European Commission press officer Federica Miccoli, who said a portless iPhone would still be compliant with the law: "Yes. Since, such radio equipment cannot be recharged via wired charging, it does not need to incorporate the harmonised (wired) charging solution."
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Apple has delivered the MagSafe standard to the Wireless Power Consortium, meaning future iPhones that only use MagSafe charging can legally be sold in the EU.
It doesn't sound like portless iPhones will be going on sale just yet, but with the iPhone 18 inevitably on the way in 2026, a very different future could be on the way.
Suddenly, the idea of a foldable iPhone with no ports doesn't seem that ridiculous.