In 2023, Apple AirPods of all varieties could come with USB-C charging covers. Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst and typically trustworthy rumor spreader, predicted on Twitter on Tuesday that “Apple will launch USB-C-capable charging covers for all AirPods versions in 2023.”
If true, this comes as a bit of a surprise since the majority of speculations indicate that there won’t be any new AirPods with charging cases until 2019.
Unsurprisingly, Kuo adds that Apple’s exclusive lighting port technology would still be used in the much-anticipated AirPods Pro 2 that we expect to release before the end of this year.
There was a time when we couldn’t envision Apple abandoning the lightning port architecture due to the company’s significant investment in it. It’s logical to believe Apple is open to including USB-C ports on other peripherals now that it has gradually switched from lightning to USB-C on iPads almost all sizes, has incorporated the connector on some of its newest charging bricks, and uses it across its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro ranges.
The condition of the lightning connector on Apple iPhones may determine whether or not Apple introduces USB-C on the AirPods Pro 2, which are anticipated to offer more fitness monitoring features and support for high-resolution music.
All current iPhone models have the lightning port, and there are no signs that Apple would abandon it for the upcoming iPhone 14 any time soon.
