Apple may switch AirPods to USB Type-C charging, but not before next year

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will shift all models of AirPods to USB-C in 2023 but that the AirPods Pro 2, scheduled to launch in 2022, will still come with a Lightning port.

The Apple AirPods Pro pictured here and many other Apple accessories still use a Lightning port. (Image credit: Apple)

It has already been reported that Apple would be switching the iPhone to USB-C as early as next year but now a new report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the Cupertino-based tech giant could also switch its AiPods to a USB Type-C charging port starting next year.

The reliable Apple analyst tweeted on Tuesday that the company will launch USB-C charging capable cases for all AirPods models in 2022. However, Kuo went on to add that the AirPods Pro 2 scheduled to launch this year will still come with Lightning support.

I predict Apple will launch USB-C-capable charging cases for all AirPods models in 2023. However, the charging case of the new AirPods Pro 2 launched in 2H22 may still support Lightning.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) August 9, 2022

But this is not the first time that Kuo is predicting the AirPods will shift to USB-C: In a series of tweets posted on May 16, Kuo made the exact same prediction while rubbishing the rumours that Apple was preparing to create an iPhone with no ports. A USB-C port would be bigger and heftier than the lighting port but it could offer advantages for a device like the AirPods, including faster-charging speeds.

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Between the iPhone and the AirPods, this could mark a complete shift for Apple from the Lightning connector to the USB-C standard. If Kuo’s prediction is right and the upcoming AirPods Pro launching this year comes with a Lightning connector, it could mean that users who buy them would need to buy a new charging case (or perhaps, an adapter) next year if they want to bring all their devices under the USB Type-C umbrella.

In the past, the company has vehemently stuck with the Lightning port for iPhones and some accessories despite shifting to USB-C for most iPads and Macs. This new change in direction for the company could be due to the European Commission’s new rules regarding a common charging port for all mobile phones.