According to a new leak by popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to upgrade the charging port of the AirPods Pro 2 to USB-C later this year. He, however, adds that no USB-C upgrade is in the pipeline for AirPods 3.

Kuo says that mass shipments of the new AirPods Pro are expected to begin in the second or third quarter. The current version of the AirPods Pro, which launched in September last year, features a Lightning charging case. The updated version, on the other hand, will feature a USB-C charging case instead.

He adds that references to new AirPods discovered in iOS 16.4 RC are the USB-C AirPods Pro. While there is no confirmation of other hardware changes, it is expected that the new AirPods Pro will come with the same features as the current version. Interestingly, Kuo also revealed that Apple has no plans to release a USB-C version of the third-generation AirPods.

For those wondering, Apple is planning to use USB-C on its products because of new rules in the European Union. By December 28, 2024, all the companies selling their products in Europe must follow the new rules. Under the new rules, all electronics have to switch to USB-C. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes Apple will upgrade all three AirPods models to USB-C by the end of next year.

With the company transitioning most of its products to USB-C, including the upcoming iPhone 15, it was only a matter of time before the AirPods Pro received an upgrade. However, the lack of an AirPods 3 upgrade suggests that Apple is holding off until the next-gen is released with a USB-C port.

Source: Twitter