Andrew O’Hara shared on Twitter purported CAD renders of the upcoming second-generation AirPods Pro’s new charging case that could have speaker holes, a microphone and an opening for a lanyard to attach. Consistent.
The new charging case is expected to be supported by Find My’s finder system, allowing users to track the location of the case in the Find My app if it is lost or misplaced, even if the AirPods Pro is not in the case. Earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the case makes a sound when lost, which would explain the addition of the speaker hole.
The renders also show a single hole for what could be a microphone, though it’s unclear what it’s used for. One possibility is that the microphone could be used for Live Listen, Apple’s accessibility feature that helps people hear conversations in noisy places or on the other side of the room. The case’s microphone picks up sound and sends it to the AirPods Pro someone is wearing, making it easier to hear.
Finally, the rendering shows a cutout on the right side of the case, possibly for the previously leaked lanyard attachment. This feature would make it easier to attach the AirPods Pro case to a keychain without the need for an additional accessory.
From the CAD drawings, it looks like the case has a Lightning port like the current version, or rather USB-C, which cannot be determined at this time, but rumors suggest that the case will stick with Lightning this year and switch to USB-C next year with the iPhone 15. Since the October 2021 upgrade, the charging case has also supports MagSafe wireless charging.
The new AirPods Pro charging case is also likely to be IPX4 rated for water and sweat resistance like the charging case for the third-generation AirPods, which is currently only available for the AirPods Pro earbuds, not the case.
While the second-generation AirPods Pro is expected to have longer battery life thanks to a more power-efficient H2 chip and possible support for Bluetooth 5.2’s low-power LE audio standard, it’s unclear whether the new charging case will have a larger battery. The current AirPods Pro case comes with a 519 mAh battery.
Apple is expected to announce the new AirPods Pro by the end of 2022, but it’s unclear exactly when they will be unveiled. Other features rumored for the new AirPods Pro include improved in-ear detection, fitness tracking capabilities and more.
