The iFixit team has released a teardown of the new Apple AirPods 5 wireless earphones, which points to important (albeit small) improvements in their repairability.
Image source: iFixit
Since the first-generation AirPods were launched in 2016, iFixit has consistently given them a repairability score of 0 out of 10. AirPods have always been considered an extremely difficult device to repair due to the amount of glue used to secure the battery, solder joints and case, making them nearly impossible to open and reassemble without damaging them.
When it comes to the new AirPods 5, however, iFixit says Apple has taken a small step in the right direction — provided the repair is performed by a qualified expert or a particularly adventurous enthusiast who prefers to repair the device themselves.
In a new teardown video, iFixit demonstrates that the battery inside each earbud can be removed and replaced without damaging the AirPods themselves. As a result, the headset received a repairability rating above zero for the first time. Although the new AirPods 5 scored only 2 points out of 10, it is still two points higher than the total score of previous generations.
iFixit notes that the batteries in the left and right earbuds are not interchangeable, as they have different polarity and slightly different pin locations. Replacing the battery basically ends your AirPods 5 repair options. As iFixit shows in the video, it’s still impossible to repair the headphones without damaging their other internal components. The same goes for the charging case.
The iFixit teardown also includes computed tomography (CT) scans, which provide a detailed look at how well Apple has packed the battery, MEMS microphone, H2 chip, and other tiny components inside each earbud.
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