Apple to switch AirPods Pro charging case from Lightning to USB-C, says Gurman

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has reported that as part of the iPhone 15’s shift from Lightning to a USB-C port, Apple is planning to make the same switch on the AirPods Pro’s charging case, saying Apple also has plans to move to USB-C on future generations of its other audio products.

In this week’s edition of his weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman says despite the planned USB-C shift, there isn’t an imminent launch of all-new AirPods Pro hardware planned, claiming that new earbuds are in development, with Apple testing “major new hearing health and body-temperature features.”

Respected TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed earlier this year that Apple will 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.

With Apple typically releasing new AirPods Pro every three years, it is believed the new AirPods Pro charging case with USB-C will replace the existing Lightning models, without any upgrades to the AirPods hardware themselves.