The European Union has set a deadline of December 27, 2024 for device manufacturers to switch to USB-C for their data and charging ports, which means that Apple is going to have to abandon the iPhone Lightning connector at some point before then.There is a loophole, which is that Apple could make the iPhone 17 completely portless, so it would rely on Wi-Fi for data transfer and wireless charging to juice up the battery.The clock is tickingWe have already heard rumors that Apple is thinking of switching the iPhone 15 over to USB-C for its port – or at least the Pro models of the phone.It's something we've been requesting since the iPhone 12 in 2020, and rumors about Apple making the switch on its flagship handsets have been swirling for about as long as that as well.Apple is of course familiar with the technology: it already uses the standard in its MacBook ports and on its iPad devices."