Apple Likely To Release AirPods Pro 2 This Year With Lightning Connector

Last Updated on May 24, 2022 by Anu Joy

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a few more predictions for the upcoming AirPods Pro 2. He claims that it will continue to feature a Lightning connector instead of USB Type-C. The device is expected to go into mass production by the second half of the year.

AirPods Pro 2 Lightning Connector For Charging

As Apple has been transitioning some of its products to USB-C, it was speculated that the AirPods Pro 2 could also make the switch. However, Kuo says that this won’t be the case, and the firm will likely stick with the Lightning connector, at least for the next-gen AirPods.

Just last week, the analyst predicted that the iPhone 15 may come equipped with a USB Type-C port, ditching the Lightning connector. He added that other Apple accessories such as the AirPods, Magic Keyboard, MagSafe Battery Pack, Mouse, and Trackpad could also transition to USB-C in the “foreseeable future”. Going by Kuo’s recent tweet, it appears that the AirPods Pro 2 may not be included in the list of Apple devices gaining USB-C.

The push for USB-C has been gaining traction in recent times, with the European Union (EU) rallying for a universal charging standard. Just last month, members of the European Parliament voted in favour of a proposal to make USB Type-C the default port on most consumer electronics devices.

AirPods 2 Manufacturing

Kuo says that the mass production of the AirPods Pro 2 will likely commence in the second half of 2022. He notes that the iPhone maker wants to reduce its dependence on China. Hence it is looking towards countries such as Vietnam and India for the manufacturing of Apple devices.

Kuo adds that the Cupertino-based company is shifting the production of the AirPods Pro 2 from China to Vietnam due to the device’s “relatively not complicated supply chain and Vietnam’s better production environment”. The device is expected to enter production in the second half of the year.