New USB-C AirPods to launch in September at Apple's iPhone 15 event

(Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future)

The next Apple event, “Wonderlust” has officially been announced, and we’ll see the new iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max on September 12. According to an exciting new report on what we can expect from the event, we'll also see new AirPods too.

Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports, “To match the new iPhones, Apple will introduce updated AirPods at the event that include a USB-C charging port.” which seems likely given the new iPhones are expected to launch with USB-C ports instead of Lightning, the first port change on iPhone since 2012.

The report shares no information on what AirPods models will get updated, so we’re unsure if we’re likely to see USB-C added to all charging cases or if we’ll get next-generation AirPods instead.

Previously, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that a range of Apple accessories will get USB-C charging ports to coincide with the new iPhone launch. If that’s the case, we could see AirPods Pro 2 with a new USB-C charging case and no other improvements to the earbuds — hopefully, Apple sells the charging case separately for customers who already own the latest AirPods.

Will USB-C AirPods be worth the wait? — iMore’s take

Now that the iPhone event has officially been revealed and we’re less than two weeks away from seeing the iPhone 15, it’s time to start replacing your old Lightning cables with USB-C. If you’re like me, the only devices I own that don’t use USB-C are my iPhone and my AirPods Pro 2. It would make sense for Apple to offer two options for AirPods charging cases in the Apple Store as it will take a few years for all iPhone owners to make the jump to USB-C.

Personally, I’d hold off on purchasing new AirPods just for USB-C as I prefer to use MagSafe and wireless charging. While it would be inconvenient to own a Lightning cable just for my earbuds, it wouldn’t be too bad considering the host of charging possibilities included with the current AirPods Pro 2 charging case.

We’re likely to get more information on these new AirPods as we get closer to September 12th. Stay tuned to iMore for all your iPhone 15 news; after all, it’s the best time of the year for fans of Apple.

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.