Apple plans to release second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case later this year, and mass shipments are expected to begin in the second quarter to the third quarter, according to information shared today by an Apple industry analyst. Ming Chi Kuo.
AirPods Pro 2nd generation launched in September 2022 with Lightning charging case. The updated second-generation AirPods Pro will have a USB-C charging case instead, but it’s not clear if any other hardware changes are planned. Kuo believes that references to new AirPods detected in the iOS 16.4 Release Candidate earlier this week are related to the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro.
About two years after the launch of the original AirPods Pro, Apple released a MagSafe-compatible charging case for the headphones, so there is precedent for a mid-cycle charging case update. There were no changes to the actual AirPods Pro at that time.
The current version of the AirPods Pro charging case has a built-in speaker that can play a sound when the case is misplaced, a hole for attaching a lanyard, a U1 chip for Find My support, and newly added compatibility with the Apple Watch charger.
All four iPhone 15 models coming later this year are expected to have a USB-C port, so it makes sense that the AirPods Pro charging case would switch to USB-C as well. Apple actually switched the Apple TV’s Siri Remote from Lightning to USB-C last year, and it’s rumored that other accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack will eventually follow.
Kuo added that Apple currently has no plans to release USB-C charging cases for the second-generation or third-generation AirPods. This indicates that standard AirPods may not have a USB-C charging case until a fourth-generation pair is released. Apple released the third generation AirPods in October 2021.
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