AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough

2/10.
Mother Nature must be so relieved now

As much as I'd like replaceable batteries in these things, I'd rather they be as small and as lightweight as possible when wearing them. In short, I think it's the right call for them to be consumable vs. repairable as long as we can get a decent 3-5 year lifespan for the battery.

I understand a non removable battery in the AirPods themselves. I think Apple could figure out a way to do it without adding weight or reducing battery life, but it wouldn’t be easy.

The case on the other hand, well there’s absolutely no reason why it couldn’t be redesigned with some small screws to give easy access to the inside to replace components and most obviously the battery.

What a crock of s*** that apple calls themselves eco friendly with the amount of waste they create with these “battery” decisions. Money is all they care about, their “pro” eco friendly stance is 100% pure marketing.

Where are the ear tips? These are a huge downgrade!

That's the Air Pods Pro.

Apple’s AirPods battery “repair” is just ridiculus 😂
For AirPods 4, replacing the battery in both earbuds AND the case costs $147. A brand new pair is $129. Like… seriosuly? 😂
And Apple doesnt even replace the actual batteries. They basically replace the whole thing. So you pay more to “repair” your AirPods than to just buy new ones. Peak Apple repairability.
Luckily, from February 2027, new devices that are placed on the EU market after that date will generally have to have batteries that can be replaced. There are some exceptions, mainly stuff like smartwatches and fitness trackers.
And guess what? Sennheiser already makes true wireless earbuds with replaceable batteries in BOTH earbuds and the charging case. They’re called MOMENTUM True Wireless 5. You can actualy replace all three batteries instead of throwing the whole thing away. Crazy concept, right? 😂
So Apple can keep charging $147 to “replace” batteries in a $129 pair of AirPods. Thankfully the EU is gonna force them to finaly get their repairability together.