Repair site iFixit took apart Apple’s AirPods 5 today for one of its traditional teardown videos. It turns out that the new AirPods are slightly more repairable than previous models, but it’s still not a simple home fix.
The AirPods 5 use pointed batteries that Apple had previously used in the AirPods 3, but not the AirPods 4. The battery can be removed with a “stylish pair of pliers,” and iFixit says the component is “intuitive to disconnect.” When the AirPods 3 used the pointed battery, there was no easy way to get into the earpiece, but the AirPods 5 are easier to open.
iFixit managed to get into the AirPods 5 with a hairdryer to heat the adhesive and a clamp to hold the earphone in place. The left and right earbuds use different batteries with reversed polarity, so the left AirPod’s battery cannot be swapped with the right AirPod and vice versa.
While the earbuds have a better repair rating, iFixit said the case is “still a mess” and is difficult to get into without destroying it.
iFixit gave the AirPods 5 a repairability score of 2/10, compared to the 0/10 score achieved by all previous versions. The site claims that “experienced technicians and even intrepid DIYers” should be able to replace AirPods batteries “with a decent success rate.”
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