It’s been true for a while now that Apple’s AirPods have been effectively disposable, with [iFixit] slapping each successive generation with an abysmal 0/10 repairability score. The moment that any of the built-in batteries faltered you could effectively toss the whole package out as e-waste.
Interestingly, with the fifth generation it would seem that a battery swap in the earbuds is now actually possible without whole-scale destruction, according to the [iFixit] teardown video.
Although it’s still a far cry from the demonstrated FairBuds battery replacement, this time around a bit of gentle heat allows for the glued-together earbud to cleanly separate, with inside a socketed coin cell. The catch here is that the polarity on these sockets differs between the left and right earbud, which was discovered after a quick swap.
Unfortunately this same easy-to-open change doesn’t carry over to the case for the earbuds, which still requires physical destruction of the plastic to get to its battery. Accordingly [iFixit] gives this generation of AirPods a generous 2/10. Although a step in the right direction, it seems clear that if repairability or even simply being able to replace the batteries is a concern, the AirPod’s probably aren’t for you.
Last year’s third generation AirPods made [iFixit] really angry, so this is borderline glowing praise. Of course, the issue with non-removable batteries remains a problem, especially when new EU regulations that should have fixed this get watered down.
Continue reading “Apple Finally Made AirPods Repairable… Sort Of”
A few years ago, France introduced a mandatory repairability score for consumer goods like laptops and tablets. It involves five criteria that range from documentation and availability of spare parts to ease of disassembly, with the manufacturer using a government-provided checklist to determine their score.
