Apple will provide the second-generation AirPods Pro with a new charging case with USB-C connector later this year. However, according to reliable source Ming-Chi Kuo, it will stop there.
Insiders tell the analyst that both the second-generation and third-generation regular AirPods will have to continue to make do with a Lightning connector.
USB-C only for the AirPods Pro in 2023
Ming-Chi Kuo’s coverage follows up on a story we shared on our website earlier this week. The Release Candidate of iOS 16.4, the new operating system for the iPhone, refers to brand new AirPods.
It was previously expected that Apple would upgrade the current earbuds with a new charging case. The model in question would carry a USB-C connector, but Kuo now questions that expectation.
According to the analyst, Apple is only providing the second-generation AirPods Pro with a case with the much-discussed connector. These are expected to ship in the second quarter or third quarter of this year.
So while the second-generation AirPods may get a new variant, we don’t have to reckon with the much-discussed switch. Although, of course, the news should be taken with a grain of salt.
Who is Ming-Chi Kuo?
Ming-Chi Kuo is an analyst at TF International Securities and also one of the most reliable sources on Apple and all its products. He does not have a 100% score, but when Kuo says it, the information is at least to be taken seriously.
Why Apple should switch
So Apple is cautiously working behind the scenes to switch to USB-C. Something it itself is not exactly eager to do, but it has to.
That has everything to do with a new European Union law. It believes that a universal standard is much more effective and decides that USB-C should be that standard. This will require not only products like the iPhone, but also AirPods to make the switch.
