Appleannounced the new iPhone 15 seriestoday, with a handful of updates for the company’s annual slate of smartphones. If you missed this afternoon’s keynote, changes include Apple’s Dynamic Island display cutout making its way downstream to the base-model iPhone, a new titanium-alloy frame for the 15 Pro, and the usual suite of camera improvements and incremental horsepower bumps.
The biggest news of the day, though, is that Apple has taken a big step forward in its soon-to-be-mandatory USB-C transition: all iPhone 15 models come with the same standardized charging port as iPads and Macs (not to mention, of course, Android devices). To the same end, the company also announced that USB-C is coming to thesecond-generation AirPods Pro— but you probably still shouldn’t buy a pair to use with your Android phone.
Apple is known for making products and services that work best inside its own ecosystem; it’s one of the biggest perks of being an Apple customer. Devices work together seamlessly, in ways users are bound to miss if they ever decide to jump ship. The company’s proprietary Lightning charging port used to be one of those perks: back when Android phones charged over microUSB, a reversible connector for all your essential gadgets was a godsend.
But times have changed. Apple’s been switching products from Lightning to USB-C charging for years now, andEuropean Union legislation taking effect in 2024has expedited that process, requiring practically all consumer electronics sold in most of Europe to offer the now-standard port by the end of next year.
It’s more than a proprietary charger that made AirPods a bad fit for Android users, though. The AirPods Pro can technically be used with non-Apple devices, and they still sound very nice there. But as you might expect, many of AirPods' nice-to-have features require pairing the earbuds with other Apple devices.
For example, rather than standard Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, automatic device switching on AirPods is proprietary and only works between Apple gadgets. The earbuds know to disconnect from your MacBook and connect to your iPhone when you answer a call, but that won’t work if you’ve got a MacBook and a Pixel 7.
More basic AirPods features are compromised on Android, too. In-ear detection only works when the buds are paired with other Apple kit; if you’re using AirPods with a device not made by Apple, media keeps right on playing when you pop the earbuds out. But even more critically, it’s impossible to update AirPods' firmware if you don’t have a Mac, an iPhone, or an iPad. I don’t just mean it’s difficult — it’s straight-up not possible. That might sound like a small issue, but firmware updates can fix product-breaking problems, likea bug that made it impossible to listen to media using AirPods connected to a Pixel phone. If AirPods were your only Apple product, you wouldn’t be able to install that sort of update.
If you happen to use Apple gear most of the time and also want to pair your earbuds with an Android phone occasionally, AirPods might work for you — and now that the Pro model comes with USB-C, keeping them charged will be less annoying. But if you were hoping the new USB-C AirPods Pro could be your dream Android earbuds, I’m sorry to say the charging port will be the least of your worries. If you’re looking to upgrade your buds soon, we’ve gotsome great recommendations, complete with features that all work seamlessly on Android.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are fantastic earbuds — if you spend all or most of your time using other Apple devices. On Android, the earbuds still offer strong audio quality, thorough ANC, and a comfortable fit, but most of what makes AirPods a great option for Apple users is exclusive to Apple’s ecosystem. If you spend time in both pools, you might still find the second-gen AirPods Pro a compelling option, but folks without an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac computer won’t have a good experience.
