Apple’s AirPods 5 Show Surprising Signs of Repairability in Latest iFixit Teardown

Wireless earbuds have long held a reputation in the consumer technology world as being notoriously difficult, if not entirely impossible, to repair. Outside of a few distinct, boutique offerings on the market like the Fairphone Fairbuds, which were specifically designed from the ground up with modularity and longevity in mind, there has virtually been no viable way for consumers or independent technicians to repair damaged components on mainstream wireless audio gear. Once the internal battery degrades or a hardware component fails, these tiny devices typically end up discarded in electronic waste bins.

However, it turns out that Apple has taken a slightly more repair-friendly approach with its latest AirPods 5 iteration. According to the latest comprehensive teardown conducted by the electronics repairability experts at iFixit, Apple has made a notable structural shift in its hardware engineering, returning to the use of pronged batteries. This design choice stands in stark contrast to the heavily glued-in, integrated power cells that have characterized previous generations of AirPods, making the new components significantly easier to replace in theory, even if the overall process remains an intricate and delicate undertaking.

For a decade, iFixit has evaluated Apple’s iconic wireless earbuds, repeatedly handing down dismal repairability scores due to the sealed, monolithic nature of the hardware. The publication’s latest teardown video highlights this historical context, noting that the shift in the AirPods 5 represents a departure from past design philosophies. While a score of zero out of ten was the standard for previous models, the introduction of pronged internal connections allows the AirPods 5 to edge slightly higher, marking a modest yet significant shift in how one of the world’s largest technology companies approaches internal hardware serviceability.

Despite this welcome architectural modification, the reality of opening and servicing the AirPods 5 remains a very tedious and specialized process that is certainly not meant for the casual user at home. Anyone attempting to look inside these earbuds must first employ specialized equipment, needing something secure to clamp the tiny, curved AirPods firmly in place. From there, a technician must somehow apply precise and even amounts of hot air to the top part of the earbud housing. This delicate heating process is required to soften and melt the industrial-strength adhesive that tightly holds the outer plastic casing together, shielding the sensitive micro-components resting just beneath the surface.

If a technician successfully manages to break through the thermal adhesive and pry open the outer buds without fracturing the plastic or damaging the delicate internal ribbon cables, they are greeted by the actual power source. The battery itself is secured further inside the housing with additional adhesive strips, requiring careful extraction. Furthermore, technicians must exercise extreme caution during any potential replacement procedure regarding the orientation of the power cells. If anyone is wondering whether components can be freely swapped between the left and right sides, the answer is a definitive no, because the individual batteries feature opposite polarities, meaning they are structurally and electrically distinct to each specific earbud shell.

This single, yet crucial, architectural switch to pronged batteries is the primary reason why the AirPods 5 managed to secure a slightly higher repairability score of 2 out of 10 from the analysts at iFixit. While a score of two out of ten might still sound exceptionally low to consumers accustomed to user-serviceable electronics from decades past, in the specialized context of ultra-compact wireless earbuds, it represents a notable milestone. Worn-out, chemically degraded batteries are universally recognized as some of the most common hardware failure points with all modern wireless earbuds, given the intensive charge cycles and tiny physical capacities of the power cells involved. Consequently, seeing Apple shift even marginally toward a design that accommodates battery replacement is viewed by industry observers as a positive sign that hardware durability and component accessibility are beginning to creep into the product planning of mainstream consumer electronics.