Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air, set to be one of the thinnest smartphones ever made and the thinnest smartphone in the company’s history, was initially envisioned as a port-free device, according to Apple analyst Mark Gurman.
A portless iPhone was closer than ever
In his “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, Gurman revealed that Apple executives had considered dropping the USB-C port entirely. However, they had to drop the plan in order to comply with the EU regulations. For those unaware, it was EU regulators who pushed Apple to adopt the USB-C port.
In other aspects, the iPhone 17 Air will feature a 6.6-inch display with Dynamic Island, a Camera Control button, and battery life which is reportedly comparable to current iPhones. But Gurman suggests that the device will “foreshadow a move to slimmer models without charging ports,” signaling a potential shift toward a fully wireless future for Apple’s smartphones. It will be interesting to see whether the Android OEMs show interest in this change.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to measure 5.5mm in thickness, which is still enough for the USB-C port to fit in. For context, the recently launched Oppo Find N5 measures 4.2 mm, and yes, it does pack a USB-C port. It’s also very unlikely to pose any structural integrity issues, as it’s positioned on the bottom of the device instead of the sides, where it would serve as a weak point for the phone to bend.
I also assume the decision to retain the USB-C port may have disappointed some enthusiasts hoping for an iPhone with a bold design. But one thing is for sure, Apple has already initiated the trend of slimmer phones. With high-density Si/C batteries and the use of titanium in the middle frame, a practical yet slim smartphone seems more promising than ever.
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