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Apple lets AirPods Pro owners upgrade to USB-C

By Simon Cohen December 13, 2023

Apple AirPods Pro Second Gen charging case with USB-C. — Caleb Denison / Digital Trends

Apple now sells the USB-C version of its AirPods Pro Gen 2 charging case on its own, which is good news for anyone who wants to switch to USB-C charging for their existing second-gen AirPods Pro. However, the switch from lightning to USB-C will come with a hefty premium: Apple is asking $99 for the , as noted by the Verge, or half the price that’s currently advertised on Amazon for a new, complete set of AirPods Pro second-gen with USB-C.

Apple AirPods Pro Second Gen charging case with USB-C and charging case with Lightning. — Apple AirPods Pro second-gen charging case with USB-C (left) and the second-gen charging case with Lightning. Caleb Denison / Digital Trends

The bad news for folks who own the earlier AirPods Pro Gen 2 earbuds (and who like their Lightning-equipped charging case) is that Apple is now all-in on USB-C. It no longer sells replacement AirPods Pro Gen 2 cases with Lightning, and after some quick googling, it looks like very few retailers carry them either. You may still find it as a refurbished item on sites like Walmart.

Still, the USB-C variant of the case — which has UWB for more accurate location tracking, plus a built-in speaker — is fully compatible with any version of the AirPods Pro Gen 2 earbuds (though not the first-gen, so buyer beware), even if you originally bought yours with an Apple Lightning connector. It also has the benefit of being dust and water resistant with an IP54 rating. The Lighting version was only water resistant at IPX4.

If you’re thinking of switching to USB-C right away, or perhaps you’re thinking the standalone case might make for a good holiday gift, you may want to adjust your plans. Arrival ship dates for most major U.S. cities appears to be starting on December 26 as of today (December 13).

Alternatively, you might simply want to wait. There’s a good chance that Apple will offer a full revamp of the AirPods Pro sometime in 2024, and if they come with some of the features we’re hoping for, they’ll likely be some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy.

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Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…

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When it comes to charging AirPods Pro with USB-C, don’t overthink it

Single AirPods Pro in case.

There's been a bit of a to-do over USB-C and charging rates and data speeds when it comes to the iPhone 15 and its switch away from using Apple's proprietary Lightning cable. The same goes for the AirPods Pro, which also are getting a refresh to USB-C.

While there are some very real considerations to make note of when it comes to USB-C cables and iPhones — faster is (mostly) better when it comes to charging and transferring data — I couldn't care less about either of those things when it comes to my AirPods Pro.

Audio / Video

Apple has upgraded the AirPods Pro with lossless audio, sort of

Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C.

Amid the slew of new Apple products launched today, only the tiniest mention was made of the fact that Apple has also given the AirPods Pro Gen 2 wireless earbuds a not-so-minor refresh. Along with the expected addition of USB-C, making the AirPods Pro the first Apple headphones to ditch the Lightning connector, Apple has also given the iconic white noise-canceling earbuds the ability to do lossless audio wirelessly -- something that has never been seen on the AirPods family before, and is even a rarity among non-Apple wireless audio devices.

There is, however, a catch. The "groundbreaking wireless audio protocol" that allows for lossless audio at 20-bit/48 kHz (a better-than-CD-quality resolution) is powered by the AirPods Pro's H2 chip, but for now, it only works when paired with the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset. At the moment, Qualcomm's aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec (when used with compatible wireless headphones and smartphones) is the only technology that supports lossless audio wirelessly, and even that technology is limited to 16-bit/48kHz.

Audio / Video

Second-generation AirPods Pro have USB-C now, too

Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C.

In one of the least-kept surprises of today's iPhone 15 event, Apple announced that the second-generation AirPods Pro are switching to USB-C for their charging case.

That's a big deal because they'll now use the same charger as the iPad and MacBook — and also because they can use any other USB-C cable that you've got laying around. And because we're not talking about a device with a huge battery capacity, you don't need to worry so much about whether you have the right USB-C cable. Things should charge just fine, and fast enough, given that the battery case only sports a 523 mAh battery.