Apple could be about to tell the EU where to stick their USB-C cables — and it ain’t pretty (report)

A new rumor about the iPhone 15’s wireless charging capabilities tells us a lot more about Apple’s plans — namely, that the company could be getting ready to ditch the reported USB-C port in future smartphones.

This comes from the news aggregator account “yeux1122”, so do take it with a small pinch of salt. But given the fact that EU’s new laws will stop Apple from using a Made For iPhone (MFi) verification chip on the USB-C port only, this could be quite the workaround.

Leaving the EU reeling

According to the Weibo post shared by the news aggregator, the iPhone 15 will support the full 15W charging from unverified wireless chargers. In previous iPhone models, this wattage was only available to devices that are part of the Made For iPhone (MFi) program, with unofficial options limited to just 7.5W.

One perspective would be to think Apple has made a step in the right direction — moving away from the MFi verification system and allowing you to get the full charging speed from cheaper, unverified wireless chargers. On top of that, it lines up well with the fact Apple is contributing to the new version of the Qi open standard, which is set to work a lot like MagSafe.

You could look at this in a different way, though. Because as you may remember, Apple’s been having a little spat with the EU over USB-C connectors. Primarily, the company has been warned against limiting charging speeds with cables that are not verified through MFi, because it would oppose new laws being implemented to tackle electronic waste and reduce consumer spending.

However, these regulations refer to the USB-C port only. Leaving Apple plenty of room to get petty and remove the port altogether. Wireless charging and data transfer speeds are getting faster, and while they won’t be as fast or reliable as an actual cable and port setup, this would allow Apple to have its cake and eat it too.

Outlook

It may sound far-fetched, but its a fair question to pose. With things like the rumored solid-state switches, it’s clear that Apple is keen to develop iPhones that are smoother than a baby’s bum. It looks as if the USB-C port is a lock for this year’s devices, but to step away from having this port at all would cleverly skirt around the EU ruling entirely.

Personally, I think it would be mad for any company to remove the possibility of a wired connection. But then again, it does sound like a very ‘Apple’ thing to do.