Apple is reportedly planning to release the AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C port on the charging case in the second or third quarter of 2023. That’s what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims in a tweet on Friday. He is thus addressing the findings of new model numbers in the finished version of iOS 16.4. According to Kuo, who has good contacts with the supply chain in Asia, there are currently no plans for a USB-C version of the AirPods 2 or 3.
In addition to references to possible headphones from the Apple brand Beats, references to AirPods with the model number A3048 and a new case with the designation A2968 were also found in the iOS 16.4 release candidate on Wednesday. According to Kuo, it is likely to be an update of the second generation AirPods Pro, which was only released in September 2022.
Apple is slowly transitioning
With USB-C becoming mandatory in the European Union after December 28, 2024, manufacturers like Apple are under pressure if they don’t already support the unified connector. For some time, Apple has been gradually converting its products, such as the Siri Remote on the Apple TV. An iPhone 15 is expected for autumn, which will be delivered with a USB-C port instead of Apple’s own Lightning connector.
With regard to the AirPods, however, many questions remain unanswered at the moment. For example, it is unclear why the AirPods also appear with a new model number if only the charging case gets a different connection. Users are already asking online whether the charging case with USB-C can be purchased separately at a later date in order to use it with existing AirPods Pro 2. And given Kuo’s comment that Apple isn’t planning a USB-C version of the AirPods 2 and 3, that might even point to a new generation.
(mki)
