AirPods Pro With USB-C May Not Receive Other Hardware Changes: Report – News18

Apple is expected to unveil a new AirPods Pro case model with USB-C support during its ‘Wonderlust’ event scheduled for September 12. However, according to Mark Gurman in his PowerON newsletter, the only new feature that the new AirPods Pro case will offer is the switch to USB-C, without any additional hardware features, as spotted by MacRumors.

For those uninitiated, Apple is anticipated to fully adopt USB-C starting with the new iPhone 15 series to comply with the new EU norms. It is expected to be a major change for Apple to switch the AirPods Pro to support USB-C—enabling users to charge both their iPhone and AirPods with a single cable. Currently, all versions of Apple AirPods come with a Lightning connector.

Gurman believes that the AirPods Pro will be the first in the AirPods lineup to transition to USB-C, and this shift will eventually make its way to other models like the standard AirPods and the more expensive AirPods Max.

iOS 17’s Software Features Incoming 

The second-generation AirPods Pro—even though Apple may not have any major plans to bring new hardware features—will get new software-based features thanks to new quality-of-life updates in iOS 17. With this update, the AirPods Pro will receive features such as Adaptive Audio, which balances Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation, Conversation Awareness, new mute controls, the ability to activate Siri by simply saying ‘Siri’ instead of the complete ‘Hey Siri’ phrase, and more.

In addition to the AirPods Pro USB-C switch, Apple will also launch its new iPhone 15 series, including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra, and the vanilla iPhone 15 models. Further, the event is expected to feature the Apple Watch Series 9 and the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra as well.