New AirPods Pro with USB-C charging case coming soon, according to Kuo
David Joseppi
Posted On 24/03/2023 
Respected TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple will likely release a new version of its second-generation AirPods Pro in the coming months to introduce a new USB-C charging case, aligning with a leak discovered in the latest iOS 16.4 developer beta that referenced unreleased AirPods and an accompanying charging case.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, Kuo said he believes that mass shipments for the new USB-C AirPods are expected to take place during 2Q23-3Q23, suggesting that the new earbuds could release towards the end of the year in time for the holidays.
On the topic of new earbuds, Kuo doesn’t expect Apple to upgrade the regular AirPods or high-end over-ear AirPods Max to support USB-C charging anytime soon, saying that “Apple currently appears to have no plans for USB-C versions of the AirPods 2 & 3.”
As shared by developer “Aaron” on Twitter earlier in the week, the iOS 16.4 release candidate code references previously unseen AirPods with the model number A3048, and a new AirPods Charging Case with model number A2968.
The code didn’t reveal anything about the new AirPods and AirPods Charging Case, although it does confirm that a new model is seemingly in development.
