Ming-Chi Kuo: AirPods Pro 2 will launch this year, but still use Lightning port

Apple’s AirPods Pro, first released in October 2019, looks set to see a second-generation refresh soon. A few days ago, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that the AirPods Pro 2 is expected to enter mass production in the second half of this year, but he also brought bad news to those who hoped that Apple would change the charging case.

Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that he expects AirPods Pro 2 to begin mass production in the second half of this year. In addition, he also pointed out that the AirPods Pro 2 will be produced in Vietnam, which shows that Apple is less dependent on China.

The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Apple had notified some of its suppliers that it wanted to move production from China to hubs in Vietnam and India.

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Kuo pointed out that Apple’s decision to move AirPods Pro 2 production from China to Vietnam can be attributed to the relatively uncomplicated supply chain for the product and the better production environment in Vietnam.

Currently, AirPods Pro has production and assembly lines in China and Vietnam, but Ming-Chi Kuo seems to think that this year’s AirPods Pro 2 will continue to move to Vietnam at a higher rate. However, it is expected that during the “new product introduction” stage, Apple will still test and complete the production of AirPods Pro 2 in China.

In terms of expected features and changes, Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the AirPods Pro 2 charging case will still use the Lightning port for charging, dashing the hopes of those who will have access to a USB-C port this year.

Earlier this month, Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is currently testing a USB-C charging port for the iPhone 15. The analyst also predicts that when iPhones switch to USB-C charging, Apple will also transition AirPods and other accessories to USB-C.

Sadly, however, Apple appears to be making consumers wait a bit longer before the AirPods Pro transition to USB-C charging. If Ming-Chi Kuo’s prediction comes true, this year’s AirPods Pro update will still feature Lightning charging.

Other rumored AirPods Pro 2 features include a new form factor, added health and fitness tracking, and support for lossless audio playback. Apple itself even revealed that AirPods could one day complement the Apple Watch’s health-tracking capabilities by providing additional data points.

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