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Apple’s Wonderlust fall 2023 event was expectedly dominated by announcements of the new iPhone 15 and Apple Watches, but if you listened carefully there was a small bit of audio news mixed in as well. No, it isn’t a reworking of the long-in-the-tooth AirPods Max or a new, cheaper AirPods SE (or Lite). Instead, Apple announced a new USB-C charging case for the AirPods Pro 2. The earbuds are also now dust resistant, with an IP54 rating up from IPX4 previously, and will offer lossless audio when used with the Apple Vision Pro (although this admittedly has little utility for most of us).
The case will come with newly purchased AirPods Pro 2 moving forward (as long as you don’t get old stock). No word yet if the case can be bought separately by current AirPods Pro 2 owners.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 deliver incredible noise canceling, excellent sound, and are the best option for Apple users.
Preorder at AmazonIt’s a move that makes a lot of sense for Apple. Its laptops already sport USB-C, the iPhone 15 will be the first Apple phone with USB-C, and USB-C is an overall superior connection to Lightning. Fast charging capabilities are better (USB-C carries a minimum of 3A while lightning tops out at 2.4A), maximum data transfer rates for USB-C is almost 80 times that of Lightning (USB4 protocol allows up to 40Gbps versus 480Mbps for lightning), and USB-C is a more universal connector. You’ll only find Lightning on a (dwindling) number of Apple products.
Is the arrival of USB-C charging to the AirPods a welcome addition? Absolutely. But it’s also not the groundbreaking audio product announcement many of us were hoping for (such as the aforementioned Max revamp, or sub-$100 AirPods, or better yet, more hearing health and accessibility options). You only have to look to Apple’s sister company, Beats, to find a host of earbuds with USB-C charging—such as the new Beats Studio Buds + and the not-so-new Beats Fit Pro—or its primary earbuds competitors like Sony and its WF-1000XM5.
We’re happy to see Apple starting to fully accept the One Connector to Rule Them All across all of its products. Now if we could get some foldable AirPods Max. With a proper case. That aren’t too heavy. And don’t require a bank loan to buy.
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