AirPods Pro 2 charging case will still support Lightning port, mass production will start in July in Vietnam

There have been rumors that Apple is finally ditching the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will begin mass production of AirPods 2 Pro in 2Q22. Moreover, he claims that he will always use the Lightning port.

AirPods Pro 2 will be made in Vietnam

In a series of tweets, Kuo predicted that mass production of the second-generation AirPods Pro would begin in the second half of 2022. Kuo says this will be the first time Apple has moved mass production of a major product outside of China. Apparently, Apple brought in manufacturing partners in Vietnam to handle the manufacturing of the AirPods Pro 2.

Kuo’s prediction coincided with earlier reports that Apple was planning to expand mass production of some of its key products outside of China. The report mentions Vietnam and India as two viable options. He cited the not-so-complicated supply chain and better production environment in Vietnam. Still, Kuo said Chinese vendors Luxshare ICT and Goerthek will remain the main assemblers of the AirPods Pro 2. The companies will just set up manufacturing sites in Vietnam because it will be easier to do so than in India.

And its charging case will still support Lightning port

Now for the most interesting part of Kuo’s prediction, he said the AirPods Pro 2 charging case will still support a Lightning port. Despite reports that Apple is moving to USB-C, Kuo said he won’t start that process with the AirPods Pro 2.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that this is the first time that Apple will update the AirPods Pro product since its launch in 2019. Previous reports indicated that the second generation of AirPods Pro will get rid of the stem. If true, the new AirPods Pro will have a design that looks a lot like other in-ear headphones. Additionally, rumors indicate that the AirPods Pro 2 will feature health tracking capabilities, an improved charging case, and better audio quality. In April, Kuo suggested that Apple might discontinue AirPods Pro due to weaker demand, but now the analyst appears to have reversed that prediction.