Apple AirPods Pro 3: A Closer Look at Repairability
Apple has touted the AirPods Pro 3 as providing the pinnacle of active noise cancellation among in-ear wireless headphones, enhanced by a new photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor capable of monitoring heart rates during workouts. However, there’s a significant drawback in their design: repairability.
iFixit’s Disappointing Repairability Score
The renowned repair guide website, iFixit, recently dissected the AirPods Pro 3, only to deliver a disappointing verdict—a repairability score of zero. This score continues the ongoing trend established over the past nine years, marking the AirPods Pro series as particularly difficult to repair.
Insights from the Teardown Process
In a telling teardown video, the presenter utilized specialized tools to heat and disassemble one of the earbuds, noting that this was the easiest battery removal experience they’ve observed thus far with AirPods. Inside each AirPod, a small 0.221Wh battery was discovered, but hopes of a more repair-friendly design quickly faded due to the intricate and complex assembly synonymous with Apple products.
Challenges in Repairability
The AirPods Pro are widely recognized for their compact design, yet this same engineering brilliance results in minimal repairability. The adhesive applications used in battery installations have been a hallmark of AirPods from their initial generation, leading to significant repair challenges. Independent repair shops often avoid tackling the battery replacement due to complications arising from glued components.
Battery Design Changes and Charging Case Insights
Apple’s design approach extends to the AirPods charging case, where batteries are similarly glued in, complicating replacements even further. Notably, the AirPods Pro 3 utilizes a single-cell 1.334Wh battery in the case, a departure from the dual-cell configurations used in earlier models. This leads to impressive performance, providing up to 8 hours of use on a single charge, and extending to 24 hours with the charging case.
Engineering Choices and Environmental Considerations
A CT scan of the charging case indicated that Apple has strategically minimized the use of rare-earth magnets while maintaining compatibility with MagSafe and Qi2 chargers. While Apple can argue that its design enhances water and dust resistance across multiple generations, the glaring issue of repairability remains a concern for consumers, especially considering the battery’s lifespan typically lasts around two to three years.
The Consumer Impact
For customers, the difficulty in reassembling the device after disassembly can lead to frustration. Although users with an AppleCare plan may receive free battery replacements, out-of-warranty repairs often result in the replacement of the entire earbud or case rather than just the battery itself.
Comparative Industry Standards
Other manufacturers, like Fairphone, have demonstrated that it is feasible to produce truly wireless (TWS) earbuds with replaceable batteries, achieving respectable IP54 ratings. Comparatively, Apple’s AirTag (which features an IP67 rating) allows for battery replacement, showcasing potential for improved design in their product lineup.
Looking Ahead
As consumers eagerly await improvements, the hope remains that Apple will eventually pivot towards more repairable products, aligning better with user needs and sustainability practices in the tech industry.
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