According to the reputable Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to release a new version of its AirPods Pro wireless earbuds that come with a USB-C charging case later this year. The analyst expects mass shipments of the new AirPods to begin in the second to the third quarter of 2023.
According to the information shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the only planned update for the second-generation AirPods Pro is the switch to a USB-C charging case from the current Lightning charging case. It’s unclear if there will be any other hardware changes in the updated version of the AirPods Pro. The analyst believes that references to new AirPods found in the iOS 16.4 Release Candidate may be related to this USB-C version of the AirPods Pro.
The charging case for the present iteration of AirPods Pro comes with a speaker that produces an audible alert upon losing the case, an aperture to affix a cord, a U1 chip that enables Find My tracking, and recently integrated support for the Apple Watch charging dock. The current AirPods Pro charging case also supports wireless charging and has a battery life of up to 24 hours. It’s possible that the new USB-C charging case for the second-generation AirPods Pro will include similar features, but that has not been confirmed yet.
A couple of years after the release of the initial AirPods Pro, Apple made the headphones available with a charging case that is compatible with MagSafe. This indicates that there’s a possibility for Apple to release a charging case update halfway through the life cycle of the product. However, it is not certain if the USB-C case will be made available for individual purchase as the MagSafe case was not offered separately.
Given that all upcoming models of the iPhone 15 are expected to have USB-C ports, it is reasonable to assume that the AirPods Pro charging case will also switch to USB-C. Apple recently changed the Siri Remote for the Apple TV from Lightning to USB-C, and other accessories such as the MagSafe Battery Pack are rumored to follow suit in the near future.
Kuo stated that there is no indication that Apple is developing USB-C charging cases for the second-generation or third-generation AirPods. This implies that the standard AirPods may not receive a USB-C charging case until a fourth-generation model is introduced. The third-generation AirPods were launched by Apple in October 2021.
