In a recent Tweet, experienced analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple's next AirPods Pro may come with a USB-C charging port by the third quarter of 2023. He also mentioned that this charger update may not be extended to the AirPods 2 and 3.
The tweet from Kuo was a response to a Twitter user who spotted a reference to a new AirPods model number (A3048) and a new AirPods case model number (A29680) in the latest software update, the iOS 16.4.
Last September, Apple released the AirPods Pro 2 with its key features being the Lightning port that is compatible with Qi, Apple Watch Chargers, and MagSafe. New features were included, such as a speaker that emits a sound when the Find My App is activated and a built-in loop that allows you to attach a lanyard to it.
It’s still uncertain if the updated AirPods Pro 2 will come with any additional features or if Apple will sell the USB–C case as a separate thing. Back in the day, Apple released the MagSafe case option for the AirPods Pro in 2021 and released the Lightning-only charging case for the AirPods 3. However, Apple does not sell those cases separately.
Apple has recently confirmed they have plans to change the iPhone’s charging port from the Lightning port to USB Type-C, albeit unhappily, after the European Union mandated USB Type-C charging ports for all smartphones by next year to reduce waste. This suggests that there is a possibility that the next iPhone 15 may be the first to see Type-C charging ports, though nothing has been made known yet.
