Apple Reportedly Plans to Announce New AirPods With USB-C Charging Case at iPhone 15 Event

[noSpeed]

Of course there won't be any new features.
Apple likes to bleed its customers dry, first to buy the new version with solely a different charging port - and then introduce a new product to catch them again.

Perfect opportunity for them though, isn’t it? With the new phone, my earbuds are my last remaining lightening device (good riddance). Instead of carrying the extra cable, it’s more convenient to just swap to the upgraded case.

Personally it’s not as painful, as I have the original AirPod pro, so the gen 2 will be a little update, but I feel the annoyance of the people who bought them last year. I bet upgrading the case by itself isn’t cheap either.

 

[tripsync]

Possibly, yet at the moment there are technical limitations, as we still cannot transfer data over MagSafe, for example.

Majority of customers don't need data transfer, especially with AirPods. Everything is going wireless.

Besides, MagSafe is also a cable.

It's likely iPhone doesn't plan on removing wireless charging for the foreseeable future. Removing port however is more likely. Better to change the design when that happens.

What's also likely is wireless charging will have a longer life than iPhone's USB-C port so it's better to produce wireless cables than USB-C cables.

It is convenient indeed, but less efficient than a “normal” cable.

If the argument is "wireless is less efficient, therefore it's not good for the environment" then wireless should be banned first, not lightning, considering lightning is more efficient.

 

[pacalis]

Damn, just bought a new pair of pros thinking this wouldn't happen

 

[pacalis]

Have you considered gouging the USB C ports from all of your Apple devices in order to make them all portless?

Apple is going to make a killing on USB-C compatible iPlugs.

 

[Donfor39]

This is my AirPods often delayed by myself, upgrade Path.
I enjoy USB-C.
How soon do they become available.

 

[Torty]

When does EU force apple to use android? One OS to rule them all.

 

[SanderEvers]

I do wonder if they do USB-C cases for the Gen 2 AirPods Pro (just a case, not the AirPods)

 

[sambwker]

thanks EU for this environmental disaster. could have kept using billions of perfectly functioning lightning cables but nope.

it's clear EU has no idea what they're doing. look at the annoying cookie popups for further proof. anyone who thinks otherwise is in absolute denial.

Well, no need to buy a new cable, because there are already dozens of usbc cables in the average household. That, and Apple won't be churning out tens of millions of cables that only work on a handful of devices. No more such thing as an 'iPhone charger'. Celebrations all round!

 

[tripsync]

Well, no need to buy a new cable, because there are already dozens of usbc cables in the average household.

Going to need a source for that data.

Even if there are, that's not dozens of "spare" cables.

No more such thing as an 'iPhone charger'.

That's never been a thing.

 

[Neepman]

" New Improved Airpods. Now with the more prone to failure Port everyone is asking for! "

 

[Digitalweddings]

Apple shouls offer them in Black if they want to match Iphones

 

[andrewxgx]

dear Tim, can you please bring back the "they dont fall off your ears" feature that was in the 1st and 2nd version?

 

[NARadyk]

Shame they didn't move AirPods Pro 2nd gen to USB-C last year, considering the USB-C Apple TV remote was unveiled at the exact same event

But then they wouldn’t have something else to sell this year.

 

[StoneJack]

My AirPod pro first gen is still doing fine and grinning in the bag

 

[radus]

Hello, does anybody now if the new iPhones 15 support thunderbolt monitors or display port over usb-c
and bluetooth mouse / keyboard ? - to enable us to use the iphone like samsung users use their phones in desktop-mode.

 

[lm57400]

Finally - very happy that the EU forced them to do USB-C.

 

[Dwalls90]

Hopefully? Is there some law that you must get the new one, otherwise your old one becomes useless?

Never said it becomes useless. But as someone that travels often and plans to upgrade to the 15, it doesn’t make sense to carry a lightning cable only for AirPods but also doesn’t make sense to pay 250 for new AirPods just for a case.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

? From all I have read Apple made the decision to remove the jack. The EU was not involved.

Someone must be trolling because there was never a mandate from any government or other authority to remove the headphone jack or any other port at any point.

That was all on Apple. Although most(?) other smartphone manufacturers did the same a short while after.

Apple obviously wanted to accelerate sales of AirPods and wireless audio accessories at large.

But at the time, it was phrased by Apple as a move to improve water and dust resistance.

But since a headphone jack is not an open hole going into the device, but just a closed “socket” or port for a connector (male jack), I don’t exactly see how the dust and water would enter the device anymore easily without a headphone jack?

Sure, dust and water might get trapped and sit inside the headphone jack. But how it would pass through the headphone jack into the device is beyond me.

 

[hagar]

thanks EU for this environmental disaster. could have kept using billions of perfectly functioning lightning cables but nope.

it's clear EU has no idea what they're doing. look at the annoying cookie popups for further proof. anyone who thinks otherwise is in absolute denial.

It’s Apple who kept pushing Lightning long after it was outdated: why did the Magic Mouse and Keyboard get Lightning instead of USB-C? Made zero sense in the Mac universe.

And those annoying cookie alerts: that’s called malicious compliance. They are made so obnoxious on purpose so people quickly accept them in order for companies to be able to continue tracking you. They prefer that over changing their privacy invading practices. Websites do not have to ask user permission for essential cookies (language prefs, session control, …), only for non-essential and third party cookies.

I’m very glad the EU is so consumer oriented. We can’t expect anything from the US on that front.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Never said it becomes useless. But as someone that travels often and plans to upgrade to the 15, it doesn’t make sense to carry a lightning cable only for AirPods but also doesn’t make sense to pay 250 for new AirPods just for a case.

APP 2 launched just last year and could easily have had USB-C in the first iteration.

But as a business decision, it’s obviously very smart to go all in on USB-C and make everything Lightning appear slightly obsolete.

Having all your other tech regardless of brand, including iPhone, use USB-C but still carrying around a Lightning cable just to charge your AirPods would be very annoying.

Nothing mandates Apple to make this change for AirPods. So we all know why they’re doing any way.

 

[Bakey]

Nope.

There is zero difference in UX from switching from lightning to USB-C on AirPods case other than carrying only USB-C cables (assuming you get iPhone 15).

Switching from TouchID to FaceID increases the display size, offers zero touch unlock (fixes wet finger TouchID problem), offers superior face detection, and etc...

Sorry, but it's not the same.

USB-C switch on AirPods is an environmental disaster for nearly zero benefits.

"... an environmental disaster..." 🤦‍♂️

Apple has had 2 years to address the issue... think of the millions of Lightning enabled devices that have been produced, distributed, and sold in that time?!

As has already been shown, your argument is hugely flawed, and it's absolutely not an environmental disaster!

I suggest you take a closer look at the legislations the EU are bringing for the purpose of plastics and packaging... anyway.

 

[bookcase]

For the foreseeable future, I have plenty of devices that will still use lightning: keyboard, mouse, AP2, remotes, duo chargers. I'm not in any rush to upgrade those to USB-C. It's a cable, not a big deal.

I live in a 2-person house and we usually have one lightning and one USB-C available to charge as we need, and then do wireless overnight for phones and watches. And if you have the AP2 and an Apple Watch, the AP2 charges with the watch puck, so you never need to plug in a cable.

 

[zidarko]

Cable? Been wirelessly charging my iPhone and 2 pairs of Airpods Pro since forever. Only using cable (probably a decade old) in the car for Carplay.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

No. Apple sends you a box that's barely enough to put your phone in to trade in.

Plenty will throw away every lightning cable they have. Most likely in the trash instead of ewaste.

You’re just going off anecdotal assumptions about consumer behavior that are very shortsighted.

Post USB-C iPhones, consumers who only own an iPhone and no other Lightning-only Apple tech can avoid buying a new, uniquely (and arbitrarily) proprietary cable every time their iPhone cable breaks and instead just use one that came with all the other consumer electronics they bought in the last ten years.

Yes, some will still buy new cables to have one for each device, some with higher charging speeds and data transfer rates for specific devices.

But pre-USB-C iPhones, you didn’t have the option to use anything but a Lightning cable for your iPhone and would be forced to get a new one if the cable were to break.

Yes, there will be more e-waste short term. How much exactly is anyone’s guess. But there will be some and it will be substantial. You are right about that.

But the fact that consumers can, at the very least, get basic charging and data syncing using any USB-C to USB-C cable they already own from buying other consumer electronics in the last 10 years will greatly diminish the total amount of e-waste that we’d otherwise see.

The E.U. thinks long term. That’s why the mandate makes nothing but sense for consumers and in relation to e-waste.

The vast majority of total consumer tech devices in use today globally has a USB-C port. Adopting a slower, proprietary standard that forces you to pay Apple royalties makes no sense to anyone but Apple. That alone is enough reason to mandate Lightning out of existence.

September 12 can’t come soon enough! ⚡️💥🔫⚰️🪦👏🥳🤩😄🎇🎆🎉🎊

 

[henkie]

thanks EU for this environmental disaster. could have kept using billions of perfectly functioning lightning cables but nope.

it's clear EU has no idea what they're doing. look at the annoying cookie popups for further proof. anyone who thinks otherwise is in absolute denial.

UsbC is used in almost every electronic item: MacBook, iPad, laptop PC, Android phone. The only exceptions being the iPhone and AirPods. You could go on holiday/work travel with literally one cable and charger to top up every device. But no, not not your AirPods and iPhone that currently use the age old (and innovatively slow) Lightning cable. By the way: whether you buy AirPods now or next year: a cable will be included. So how does it add to electronic waste? Even better: I imagine that in a few years time (or less) a lot of devices will not even include a cable anymore (or for a small fee), because most of us will be using usbc for everything.