Apple has made a significant shift towards adopting USB-C as the charging standard, bidding farewell to the Lightning port with the release of the latest iPhone 15 series. Along with this change, Apple also tweaked the physical charging jack on the second-gen AirPods Pro.
Good news for AirPods Pro users, as Apple is now selling the USB-C AirPods Pro case separately for $99, a significant decrease from the previous $249 deal. This standalone case is compatible with only the second-gen AirPods Pro.
This shift towards USB-C is not just a casual decision by Apple; it is in response to the European Union’s mandate that most rechargeable devices sold in the region must sport a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024. The USB-C port offers faster data transfer speeds and superior power delivery compared to the Lightning port, making it more efficient for charging larger devices and facilitating fast-charging technologies.
With the increasing universality of USB-C as an open standard, widely embraced by various devices, including smartphones, laptops, and external storage drives, having one cable for almost all your devices can be quite convenient. So, if you have an iPhone 15 and are considering ditching Lightning cables altogether, or if you need a replacement for your old AirPods Pro case, the USB-C version might be worth considering.
