Apple AirPods Pro 2 tipped to launch this year with Lightning not USB-C

The AirPods Pro 2 looks set to launch later this year, but there could be one slightly disappointing feature in amongst this extensive overhaul – a Lightning port rather than USB-C.

Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has had his say on Apple’s forthcoming second-generation high-end ‘buds. Across multiple tweets, he outlines some of what he’s heard about the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Kuo believes that the AirPods Pro 2 will enter mass production in Vietnam in the second half of 2022. Vietnam apparently represents a better production environment than China right now.

But the interesting part here comes at the end of Kuo’s tweet thread. He claims that the charging case for the AirPods Pro 2 will be powered by Lightning again rather than USB-C.

There have been reports claiming recently that the iPhone 15 will switch to USB-C in 2023. While the AirPods Pro 2 will likely be launching a year earlier, Apple’s flagship earphones are on a much longer release cycle. It will have been three years in October since the AirPods Pro launched.

This could leave the AirPods Pro 2 feeling a little dated before its time for a solid two years.

It’s a shame, because the AirPods Pro 2 is otherwise shaping up to be a bold overhaul of Apple’s true wireless earphones champ. Reports suggest that new ‘buds will feature a complete redesign, with the elimination of those signature stems.

We could also see improved noise cancelling features, support for high-resolution audio via a new audio codec, and fresh health tracking features.