Apple, was this the way to go? An enthusiast has redesigned AirPods Pro, making them repairable rather than disposable

By: Elena Shcherban | 27.07.2023, 22:45
Apple, was this the way to go? An enthusiast has redesigned AirPods Pro, making them repairable rather than disposable

AirPods wireless headphones are criticised every year because they are impossible to repair. The experts at iFixit give almost every model a 0 for repairability. This means that the headphones cannot be properly disassembled and repaired without breaking them permanently. And Apple simply gives users new gadgets (in warranty cases) when they break. The solution to this problem was found by enthusiast Ken Pillonel - the same one who redesigned the iPhone and added a USB-C port to it.

Here's What We've Seen

Ken completely redesigned the charging case of the AirPods Pro headphones - it can now be disassembled for safe battery replacement. To do this, instead of using a lot of glue, the enthusiast used nuts and screws. A little bit of glue is still left to hold some of the magnets in place. But this is cyanoacrylate glue, which can be easily removed by soaking it in acetone, not Apple's concrete-like glue.

The craftsman was only able to modify the charging case - the earbuds themselves can't be redesigned yet due to a lack of tools. But he plans to modify the headphones at some point as well.

Also, the modification only applies to the first-generation AirPods Pro. Pillonel says he has yet to be able to open the charging case of the second-generation headphones without breaking it.

Source: The Verge, Exploring the Simulation