Apple Reportedly Not Planning to Release USB-C Version of AirPods 3

[jerryk]

Apologies if I seem overly dramatic, but you know it's really just this annoyingly slow transition period where we as consumers are all moving to USB-C. I can't wait to just have a couple of chargers to do everything in my household.

Even now the iPhones are practically the one remaining thing that still uses lightning in my household and we have to juggle cables or hunt the house for the lightning charger.

It's just feels like Apple is intentionally slow-rolling it at this point 😅

I am down to 2 lightning cables and hopping to get to zero. I keep them in my travel bag just in case I need it for the iPhone 14. But otherwise, I charge the iPhone and a lot of other devices with the Qi charges I have lying around the house and in my cars.

 

[Realityck]

Lol @ all the people being dramatic about a fricking charging cable. What a world we’re living in.. lmao.

I think if your devices are using USB-C chargers, you would get the 2 to 3 meter length cables either USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning now. Too many USB-A chargers that are not as useful out there, with older cables.

 

[azentropy]

I found the thinner lightning cables tend to get frayed if you flex them frequently in used close to plugged in connector. Where as USB-C cables are noticeably thicker, less flexible likely to wear better unplugging/flexing cables around the connector. You also have braid on some USB-C cables is more strong.

Absolutely, but I'm referring to the port itself. I'd rather have to replace a cable than the port.

 

[citysnaps]

95% of consumers don’t care. Read it until you understand it. This is a big nothing to most people.

Absolutely.

It's a slow-whine day here. And people need something to complain about. Connector types are low hanging fruit.

 

[DJC631]

I won't buy anything Lightning again, so that's sad news to hear.

 

[mrat93]

95% of consumers don’t care. Read it until you understand it. This is a big nothing to most people.

Imagine making up a statistic and condescendingly telling somebody to read it until they understand it.

Why do you think 19 in 20 people are unbothered by spending more money on, and carrying additional cables?

 

[BobSc]

That's what I've been saying. Outside of MacRumors...I have NEVER heard ANYONE complain about Apple devices that still use Lightning. On MacRumors...people act like it's the apocalypse. If the majority of users actually gave a crap...the switch would have happened a long time ago.

I'll even call BS on the "if everything uses USB-C, I'll only need one cable". Yeah...you charge all of your devices one at a time? Doubt it. If you have enough free time to do that...I envy you!

Absolutely true. This forum does not in anyway represent the real Apple community. The vast majority of posts now are Apple hate. Last week, I was in an Apple store. Got to talking with a few other folks who were looking for various Apple products. All were Apple fans. We got into a discussion of various forums. Each of them had frequented this forum and expressed dissatisfaction with the misinformation, lies, and conspiracy theories that now dominate. Personally, I don't give a crap that I use Lightening and USB C cables. BFD.

 

[Realityck]

I won't buy anything Lightning again, so that's sad news to hear.

Especially if most power adapters are USB-C now.

 

[spazzcat]

It’s not a stupid question. This is what happens to all of my old earbuds…but not when I “upgrade”…when I replace them:

• The left one goes into the garbage because the right one fell in the toilet…
• They both go into the garbage because they fell into the composter when I was turning it over with a pitchfork…
• The right one goes into the garbage because the left one fell on the street and got run over by a car before I could retrieve it…
• They both go in the garbage because one or both are splitting apart and opening up at the seams. I have a theory that it’s not due to a battery failing; it’s probably due to my earwax building up inside and causing a critical mass bursting of the casing…
• They went missing while I was tilling the garden…
• One of them won’t charge anymore even after a Bluetooth reset.

Like the sock monster who lives in the dryer and never eats more than one sock from a pair, Kismet usually does in one of my earbuds and I end up throwing the other one out and buying a new set.

I thought Apple would replace one for a fee if you still have the other one.

 

[NT1440]

Apologies if I seem overly dramatic, but you know it's really just this annoyingly slow transition period where we as consumers are all moving to USB-C. I can't wait to just have a couple of chargers to do everything in my household.

Even now the iPhones are practically the one remaining thing that still uses lightning in my household and we have to juggle cables or hunt the house for the lightning charger.

It's just feels like Apple is intentionally slow-rolling it at this point 😅

Yea it definitely feels slow rolled. It’s annoying on two fronts, Apple took the leap to USBC standard 7 years ago because the industry overall was supposed to be moving.

Instead, when it comes to peripherals, micro usb is still the standard and it’s actually a surprise when something comes in for work that actually has usb c. The entire computing/peripheral industry needs a kick in the ass on this.

The other annoying front is that Apple led the charge with their computers, but the rest of the ecosystem hasn’t moved much at all.

Personally, I keep devices for a long time. My 2015 MBP serves its purpose. It would be lovely if when I finally make the move we were usb c across the board, but for now it’s an philosophical annoyance than something that’s actually effecting me.

 

[ignatius345]

I'll even call BS on the "if everything uses USB-C, I'll only need one cable". Yeah...you charge all of your devices one at a time? Doubt it. If you have enough free time to do that...I envy you!

And don't tell these people that every single iPhone on earth currently charges with the hated Lightning cable. And so do almost all currently shipping Apple accessores. What, I'm going to replace my well-functioning Magic Keyboard, recent Apple TV remote, my AirPods Max because I'm trying to reach some OCD nirvana where I have one precious cable? I honestly feel like charging their devices is some kind of hobby for people.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Good! Everybody has a ton of Lightning cables, might as well keep using them. Switching to USB-C is bad for the environment because everyone will have to purchase new cables and throw the old ones away.

It's Apple who has been doing proprietary b.s. for decades, not the rest of industry.

It's not like any brand can (or even would) use Lightning for ports and cables as that means paying Apple royalty fees and having consumers complain about having to buy Apple accessories and cables for their non-Apple products.

The majority of tech in the World is not made by Apple and features USB-C or micro USB -Why not meet consumers where they are with the tech they already own?

Apple has been free to jump on the USB-C wagon for over a decade but opted to push its arbitrarily proprietary MFi cash cow upon third-party accessory brands and consumers just to earn a couple hundred million extra.

Greed on that level is just embarrassing. Especially when there's as much emphasis on "reducing waste" and making Apple carbon neutral by 2030 as we see in their ads.

 

[gund1234]

Absolutely despicable.
Apple adorns itself with borrowed feathers when it calls itself environmentally friendly by prolonging this extension.
I hope the EU will ban the sales until they get their crap together.

How is USB C related to environment ?
almost everything is related to environment now.
Heard that scientists are modifying genetics if cows so that they don't fart methane into environment.
What next people should buy carbon credits so that they can exhale CO2 ?

 

[gund1234]

This sucks, data transfer speeds with lightning is so slow, what do i do now ? it will take forever to transfer my huge music library into Air Pods.

 

[gund1234]

It's Apple who has been doing proprietary b.s. for decades, not the rest of industry.

It's not like any brand can (or even would) use Lightning for ports and cables as that means paying Apple royalty fees and having consumers complain about having to buy Apple accessories and cables for their non-Apple products.

The majority of tech in the World is not made by Apple and features USB-C or micro USB -Why not meet consumers where they are with the tech they already own?

Apple has been free to jump on the USB-C wagon for over a decade but opted to push its arbitrarily proprietary MFi cash cow upon third-party accessory brands and consumers just to earn a couple hundred million extra.

Greed on that level is just embarrassing. Especially when there's as much emphasis on "reducing waste" and making Apple carbon neutral by 2030 as we see in their ads.

If Apple & Intel didn't create Thunderbolt USB would slacking & struck with USB 2.0 gen 1.0 speeds.
Competition is needed to innovate.
If customers don't like Apple using lightning port then customers will buy Android phones with USB C.
Customers should vote with their wallets.
Government should stop interfering in technology development.

 

[Icehawk]

Meh. I'm looking forward to being back to the era of "everything uses the same cable." Very minor gripe, but we'll get there eventually.

 

[gund1234]

What is with Apple's pyschotic obsession with making USB-C as gimped as possible in their product line? Half their products dont have it requiring you to get either dongles. WTF, when is Apple going to pull its head out of its ass?

it is sad that AirPods don't have Thunderbolt 4 built into them.
WTF is wrong. these are pro.

 

[gund1234]

Well I guess I'm not planning to buy my first Airpods any time soon then

I am waiting for Thunderbolt 4, i am not buying any gadget which doesn't have thunderbolt 4.

 

[gund1234]

Everyone had a ton of 30-pin connectors too. Wanna still use that? Or how about VGA connectors, everyone used those for over two decades.

Pretty simple, stop buying Apple products, they will upgrade to USB C.
most people are perfectly fine using lightning cables for charging.

 

[75Batt]

You clearly take great care when using your phone while plugged in, and that’s great for you!

In reality, myself and many others that I know (and millions of others all over the world) end up having cables that fray after several months of use. Many keep using these cables to avoid paying for a new one. This can and does create a fire hazard.

You can say that people need to change their habits, or the industry can adapt to reality and make cables that don’t fray under normal use.

Just because it’s isn’t a problem for you, doesn’t mean that their cables aren’t notorious for fraying for a newsworthy amount of consumer

You clearly take great care when using your phone while plugged in, and that’s great for you!

In reality, myself and many others that I know (and millions of others all over the world) end up having cables that fray after several months of use. Many keep using these cables to avoid paying for a new one. This can and does create a fire hazard.

You can say that people need to change their habits, or the industry can adapt to reality and make cables that don’t fray under normal use.

Just because it’s isn’t a problem for you, doesn’t mean that their cables aren’t notorious for fraying for a newsworthy amount of consumers.

Regardless of when they switched to usb-c there will be the leftover lightning cables that can’t be used so you’re argument to switch to USB-C isn’t the saving grace for the environment you think.

 

[gund1234]

Well, another product to wait it out until everything is aligned.

there will be new protocol or port spec by then, and we wait again.
Remeber 10 years ago EU was forcing every one to use Micro USB.

 

[gund1234]

I have lot of USB A power adapters and lightning cables, do i dump them in trash ?
What is this going to do to environment ?

May be we should start thinking about cows farting methane ?
we should start thinking about people breathing out CO2 ?
People should calculate how much CO2 they are breathing out and buy carbon credits from EV manufacturers ?
And government will buy carbon credits for people who can't afford to buy carbon credits ?
I am sure Tesla will lobby hard for this bill.

 

[britboyj]

At least there's Qi charging and I can get rid of almost all my lightning cables. Still need them for the mouse and keyboard...

 

[JGIGS]

Good! Everybody has a ton of Lightning cables, might as well keep using them. Switching to USB-C is bad for the environment because everyone will have to purchase new cables and throw the old ones away.

I'm sure a good portion of the population has at least one USB charger in their homes or wireless charging. Also lightening cables usually break down with use and need to be replaced eventually as well.

Also doesn't Apple still have to supply a cord to charge a new device? Maybe not the brick but pretty sure the cord is included. So if they include one with all new devices does it matter if it's USB-C vs. lightening? If you care about the environment just bring that cord everywhere you need it.

 

[mrat93]

Regardless of when they switched to usb-c there will be the leftover lightning cables that can’t be used so you’re argument to switch to USB-C isn’t the saving grace for the environment you think.

I’m not saying it’s a saving grace for the environment. I was making a counterpoint to the people who say that sticking with Lightning longer is good for the environment. My point was that the USB-C transition is inevitable and that the longer that withhold USB-C options from the markets the more waste it will inevitably create.

I think the environmental impact is minimal, if I’m being honest. I just think that the argument that keeping Lightning as the only option is a GOOD thing in terms of e-waste couldn’t be more untrue.