Congratulations, Apple. The new AirPods are only mostly unrepairable now
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Apple has finally dragged AirPods repairability above zero.
iFixit gave the new AirPods 5 a 2 out of 10, which is still dreadful by almost any reasonable standard. For AirPods, though, it’s progress. Previous generations spent years pinned at zero thanks to sealed batteries and construction that made repair more destructive than practical.
The change comes from the earbuds themselves. Their batteries can now be accessed and removed without destroying the housing, making AirPods 5 the most repairable model Apple has released so far.
How did AirPods get less terrible to repair
Apple has gone back to a pronged battery design held in place by two removable adhesive strips.
Opening the earbuds still takes some care. Too much heat near the stem can damage the plastic, but warming the driver housing at a lower temperature allowed it to separate cleanly.
The bigger surprise is how little equipment the job needs. A household hairdryer on a low setting was enough to soften the adhesive before the battery was removed with a clamp.
There’s still a catch. The left and right batteries aren’t interchangeable because their polarity is reversed and the contact prongs sit differently.
Why the charging case ruins the comeback
The charging case is where Apple’s repairability progress falls apart.
Getting inside still requires destructive prying and cutting that damages the plastic. Components are also secured with melted plastic welds instead of removable screws, turning what should be a battery replacement into something closer to an autopsy.
That helps explain why the overall repairability score is still just 2 out of 10. The earbuds have taken a meaningful step forward, while the case remains designed around replacement rather than repair.
Is 2 out of 10 actually a win
A 2 out of 10 repairability score is still bad. AirPods 5 also lack official repair manuals and replacement parts, so easier access doesn’t suddenly make them friendly to DIY repairs. That becomes more relevant once their batteries inevitably start losing capacity.
Still, the score breaks a decade-long pattern of complete unrepairability. Battery replacement inside the earbuds is now physically possible without sacrificing the product in the process.
Apple hasn’t exactly joined the right-to-repair revolution here. But after years of zeroes, clearing the lowest possible bar is apparently enough to make AirPods history.
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