Engineer gives AirPods charging case the USB-C port we all deserve

The engineer responsible for creating the first iPhone equipped with a USB C connector has returned to assist in bringing USB-C into the AirPods charging cases. Ken Pillonel has shared a new video showcasing how he successfully switched out the Lightning port on the AirPods charging case for a USB-C port, and it’s fully functional.

AirPods are available with USB-C (sort of )

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In an interview with Engadget, Pillonel explained that his motivation for taking on this project was simple. Pillonel stated, “What Apple products are I using every day and which ones still have a Lightning port?”

This was a difficult project, especially because Pillonel wanted the product to look as professional as possible. Basically, he wanted the AirPods case with USB-C charging to look like something Apple itself would design. Pillonel said, “It was difficult because I set high standards regarding how the final product should look.”

He also wanted to make it easy for other AirPods owners to replicate this project. This was done by making the USB-C port a “brand-new replacement part” for AirPods, allowing anyone to simply “unplug the old Lightning connector” and “plug in the new USB-C circuit.”

Despite some of the hoops he had to jump through, Pillonel told Engadget that the project was well worth the effort:

But in the end, it seems the troubles were worth the effort, with Pillonel saying “It is so satisfying to be able to use only one cable and one charger for all my Apple devices. It really is how it should be.” And in a way, that’s sort of the dream: Having one cable that can recharge or send data to any device, regardless of what kind of gadget it is or who made it.

A short video posted to YouTube this week shows the USB-C charging case for AirPods in action. Pillonel claims that he is working on a more detailed video showing the entire process.

9to5Mac’s Take

Apple’s insistence on using the Lightning connector to charge AirPods is just as annoying to me as the lack of USB-C on the iPhone, if not more annoying. It is annoying to have to bring a Lightning cable for AirPods in a world that both iPad and MacBook can charge using USB-C.

The saving grace for AirPods is that they do support charging via Qi wireless technology, but that isn’t necessarily a convenient solution when you need a quick charge while on the go or traveling.

Apple may bring USB-C connectivity for AirPods in the near future. However, engineers such as Ken Pillonel will have to prove it’s possible.