As Apple (like clockwork) sent out cryptic invitations for its upcoming September event, titled “Wonderlust”, the internet is rife with speculations about all the new gadgets we’re going to see. However, while everyone focuses on the iPhone 15 and its pivot to USB-C, and even a rumored 10th-anniversary Watch X, it turns out that the AirPods may see some big changes too.
A recent report by Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, followed by insights from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, hints that Apple is bringing USB-C to the AirPods too, marking a big shift in their hardware endeavors. This would effectively leave the lightning port in the rear-view mirror as the only current products still supporting it are all iMac and MacBook adjacent – namely the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard. Whether Apple would retire the port entirely (after a solid decade) or not remains to be decided, although it’s great to see the company proactively ensuring that the latest AirPods and iPhone are both on the same charging protocol for consumer-friendliness.
Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time the AirPods got a USB-C makeover. YouTuber and maverick engineer Ken Pillonel actually built his own USB-C AirPods Pro (and even open-sourced it for others to do so too), although it seems like Apple’s finally catching on. Pillonel’s USB-C AirPods Pro is still entirely repairable, a fact we can’t say for Apple’s own hardware. The YouTuber’s even built a transparent AirPods Pro case, going above and beyond Apple’s wildest dreams.
Beyond the product reveals, Apple’s strategic focus on expanding its domestic component base has put the spotlight on India as a manufacturing hub. With a gradual increase in iPhone manufacturing within India, Apple’s plans hint at further localization of production.
Ken Pillonel’s Transparent AirPods Pro with USB-C
