AirPods Pro with a USB-C port exist thanks to the work of an engineer
Swiss engineer Ken Pillonel had already managed to put a USB-C port on the AirPods case and now he is offering the same for the AirPods Pro. It makes available what many people would like to have, where Apple is currently limited to the Lightning port.
Ken Pillonel points out that AirPods Pro are not designed to be serviced or repaired since their charging case cannot be opened without damaging the device, making it a disposable item. iFixit repair specialists gave the first and second generation AirPods, as well as the AirPods Pro, a repairability rating of 0 out of 10 for this reason. The Swiss engineer found that the AirPods Pro charging case is easier to open than the standard AirPods, although this is still not guaranteed to be damage free.
After developing a similar solution for the first and second generation AirPods, Ken Pillonel sought to create a solution to breathe new life into the inoperable AirPods Pro charging cases, which are currently facing inevitable obsolescence due to their three built-in batteries. So he created a 3D printed replacement case (available on GitHub) which will be particularly useful for repairers.
It’s worth noting that Apple is expected to switch to the USB-C port on AirPods (and iPhones), as required by European regulations. It will be this year for iPhones. To see if the AirPods will wait until 2024.
