Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously made the prediction that iPhones coming in the second half of 2023 may adopt USB-C ports. And it looks like it may not just be the phones ditching the old Lightning connector either. The analyst claims that Apple will be equipping the AirPods of 2023 and beyond with the more universal port option, with a recent tweet to that effect.
That being said, Kuo notes that the Apple AirPods Pro 2 may still be stuck with the Lightning port. It is, after all, the next TWS buds the company will be pushing out of the pipeline, with a release slated for the second half of this year. This may coincide with the announcement of the iPhone 14 line of devices, which will also not be getting the USB-C treatment according to Kuo’s previous prediction.
I predict Apple will launch USB-C-capable charging cases for all AirPods models in 2023. However, the charging case of the new AirPods Pro 2 launched in 2H22 may still support Lightning.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) August 9, 2022
Overall, this makes sense for the entire Apple device lineup. Most of the iPad models have already moved on to USB-C. The only remaining holdout among the tablets is the base model iPad. But even then, renders that are claimed to be made by accessory makers also indicate that the next iPad model will come with USB-C, even if the renders themselves look pretty dubious.
If you’re a user of Apple products and wants the company to standardise its own ports and connectors, then there are signs that it is happening. If the iPhone maker truly plans to drop its proprietary Lightning connector once and for all in the second half of next year, then that looks to be as good a time as any to upgrade both your iPhones and AirPods. Unless you’re still a fan of the Lightning connector, then you should probably upgrade to this year’s models, and get a normal iPad of this generation before the new one gets released.
(Source: Ming-Chi Kuo / Twitter)
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