This week, Apple started selling a standalone USB-C charging case for AirPods Pro (2nd-generation) for $99. This means that if you bought AirPods Pro (2nd-generation) with a Lightning charging case last year, you can upgrade to the newest charging case without having to buy wireless earbuds, too.
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MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C) for AirPods Pro Read More
That said, assuming you have a working Lightning case for AirPods Pro (2nd-generation), unless you really want to make the jump to the USB-C, there's very little reason to buy this new case. Both cases support the same exact wired and wireless (via MagSafe) charging speeds. Both cases have the same exact battery capacity, so upgrading to the new case won't give your AirPods Pro (2nd-generation) more listening time. And both cases have a built-in speaker and support Apple's Find My network.
Aside from a USB-C charging port, the one reason to upgrade to this new charging case is that it's slightly more durable: it has an IP54 rating compared to the IPX4 rating of the Lightning charging case. So while both charging cases have the same resistance to water — they're splash-resistant, not waterproof — the new USB-C charging case has a dust-resistance rating and is technically more rugged. This is not exactly a huge reason to upgrade.
There is a difference between the actual wireless earbuds, however. The 2023-released AirPods Pro will support lossless audio when paired with Apple's Vision Pro headset. The 2022-released AirPods Pro (with the Lightning case) will not. So if you're planning on being one of the first to have Apple's upcoming AR/VR headphones next year, you'll want to have Apple's latest wireless earbuds.
In a nutshell: upgrading to the new USB-C charging case will not upgrade your older AirPods Pro, too.
As a reminder, the 2023-released AirPods Pro (2nd-generation) with USB-C charging and the 2022-released AirPods Pro (2nd-generation) with Lightning charging are almost exactly the same. The look and sound identical. They have the same active noise-cancellation and transparency skills. They have the same battery life. And they both support the newest audio features — Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness — that Apple rolled out this fall.
This standalone charging case is available now. However, if you order now it's not expected to arrive before Christmas.
