Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter, says Apple is likely to release a USB-C charging case for AirPods Pro alongside the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup this fall.
Gurman said the shift would likely coincide with the switch from Lightning to USB-C that is expected to happen across the iPhone 15 series this September.
Gurman’s comments jibe with those by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in March saying that Apple is planning to debut its second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case later this year. Kuo said mass shipments will begin in the second or third quarter.
Gurman also said Apple is developing a new hearing test feature for AirPods Pro that is designed to detect possible hearing issues. The new hearing test feature will “play different tones and sounds to allow the AirPods to determine how well a person can hear,” said Gurman.
Gurman also repeated previous rumors that Apple is working on developing additional health sensors for future generations of AirPods. One is the ability to read body temperature from the ear canal, a method believed to be more accurate than reading temperature from the wrist.
Gurman also said Apple is exploring how it could better position AirPods as a hearing aid by building on existing features like Conversation Boost and Live Listen. Neither feature has regulatory approval yet.