Apple secretly added Apple Watch charging to AirPods 3rd Gen. in late 2023?

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I've owned a pair of AirPods 3rd Gen. (MagSafe version) since launch in 2021 and distinctly remember reading on one of Apple's product pages that the charging case will only charge via (iPhone) MagSafe, Lightning, or Qi, and watching several video mentioning how the AirPods 3rd. gen. (MagSafe) charging case DOES NOT support charging with an Apple Watch charging puck.

For clarification, Apple sells two different versions of AirPods 3rd. Gen., one that comes with a MagSafe charging case and one that comes with a Lightning case:

And when I google the question, several many articles pop up explaining how only AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. can charge via an Apple Watch charger. So that checks out with how Apple presented AirPods 3rd Gen. and AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. back when they launched.

Nothing new.

However, on November 3, 2023, Apple updated the official support document listing technical specifications for AirPods 3rd Gen. to say, "AirPods (3rd generation) charging case also works with the Apple Watch charger..":

https://support.apple.com/kb/SP856?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

It would seem that Apple has updated the firmware some time in late 2023 to let AirPods 3rd. Gen (MagSafe) charge using an Apple Watch charging puck?

I've not been able to find any news articles, posts, videos or social media mentioning this change. Only reiteration of how it's a AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. exclusive feature. And it also hasn't been mentioned here on MR.

So Apple has just shadow dropped a useful feature for a 2021 product?

Well, maybe. I'm not really sure:

I, seemingly, can't get the case to charge at all with the AirPods sitting in the case when it's on the Apple Watch charger. And without the AirPods in the charging case, it still seems like it's not really charging even though the green light will come on.

It definitely seems very finicky to me.

The MagSafe case for AirPods 3rd Gen. is obviously missing the same array of magnets that the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. charging case has. So there's also the whole magnet "rejection" thing going on when placing AirPods 3rd Gen. on the Apple Watch charging puck unless you place the case exactly in the middle of it, dead center.

TLDR: Apple has, apparently, added Apple Watch puck charging to AirPods 3rd. Gen (MagSafe) -I'd kindly ask any of you with AirPods 3rd Gen. and Watch Chargers to test it out and confirm or deny if you can get your AirPods 3rd Gen. MagSafe charging cases to charge using your Apple Watch chargers.

Does this work for you?

*For reference, my AirPods 3rd. Gen are on firmware version 6A321(latest) and I'm using the official Apple charging puck that came with my Apple Watch Series 8 and a 20W charger (from Anker). I've been charging AirPods 3rd Gen. mainly wired, but also using (iPhone) MagSafe and Qi from time to time.

 

[darngooddesign]

Apple sells two different cases, one with Lightning and one with Lightning & MagSafe. I think what they are saying is that the MagSafe cases works with both the full-sized MagSafe and the smaller watch MagSafe chargers.