Apple could release charging cases that use USB-C for lower-priced AirPods in 2024, according to an unconfirmed report. A similar case for premium AirPods Pro 2 is expected at Apple’s September event next week.
And Apple might bring USB-C to AirPods Max next year, too, as part of a general move away from Lightning.
AirPods: Goodbye Lightning, hello USB-C
The proprietary Lightning connector is finally going away — Apple is switching the iPhone to USB-C. The transition away from Lightning is being forced by the European Union, and this fall’s iPhone 15 series will almost certainly be the first with USB-C.
With iPhone users charging the handset with USB-C, AirPods shouldn’t still be using the old Lightning connector. Thankfully, Apple is on it.
Previous leaks point to Apple prepping an AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Charging Case with USB-C for debut at the Wonderlust event on September 12. But it won’t stop there.
“The company also plans to bring USB-C charging to its low-end AirPods and AirPods Max as early as next year,” Bloomberg reported on Friday.
But that’s a somewhat ambiguous statement. It could mean Apple is making a new charging case for the AirPods 3. But it could instead mean that a future AirPods 4 will use USB-C. And the same goes for a possible AirPods Max 2.
In either situation, we know Lightning is definitely on the way out. Eventually, all Apple accessories that use the old connector will transition to USB-C.
