AirPods Pro 2 USB-C update could be a lot closer than we thought

AirPods Pro 2 on a mosaic table
(Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future)

Earlier this week, it appeared as though Apple accidentally leaked new AirPods in the release candidate for iOS 16.4 that went out for developers. Another AirPods-related thing also came out in the RC – a new case for an as-yet unspecified pair of AirPods. Reliable analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, reckons that this case is the expected AirPods Pro 2 case with USB-C.

More USB-C

The lightning port is destined for the annals of history, thanks to the European Commission and its new laws around standardized ports. A USB-C port is already coming on your next best iPhone, with the iPhone 15 pegged for inclusion with the port. Kuo believes that the next device coming with the port is the AirPods Pro 2, coming sometime later this year.

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He also says that Apple isn't looking to put a USB-C port on the AirPods 2 and the AirPods 3, perhaps signaling that there will be a different version coming at some point that will have the port instead. A pair of AirPods 4, as it where. There have been some rumblings and rumors around a pair of AirPods that will be sub $100, so perhaps that could be the other leaked pair in the release.

The only AirPods left floundering now are the aging AirPods Max. There has been some speculation as to when a replacement for the biggest and most expensive pair of AirPods might be coming out, but as yet there is nothing solid to get our hopes up.  They remain a popular option in. the overhead, noise-canceling headphone space, but their rivals are now catching up with better sound quality, noise canceling, and in some cases, build quality. Hopefully, if there is a new pair coming, we can hope for a better case than the one that came with the first model.

Tammy Rogers
Senior Staff Writer

As iMore's Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she's got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won't find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don't ask her about AirPods Max - you probably won't like her answer.