Apple Finally Made AirPods Repairable… Sort Of

It’s been true for a while now that Apple’s AirPods have been effectively disposable, with [iFixit] slapping each successive generation with an abysmal 0/10 repairability score. The moment that any …. Apple Finally Made AirPods Repairable… Sort Of.

The moment that any of the built-in batteries faltered you could effectively toss the whole package out as e-waste. Interestingly, with the fifth generation it would seem that a battery swap in the earbuds is now actually possible without whole-scale destruction, according to the [iFixit] teardown video. Although it’s still a far cry from the demonstrated FairBuds battery replacement, this time around a bit of gentle heat allows for the glued-together earbud to cleanly separate, with inside a socketed coin cell.

The catch here is that the polarity on these sockets differs between the left and right earbud, which was discovered after a quick swap. Unfortunately this same easy-to-open change doesn’t carry over to the case for the earbuds, which still requires physical destruction of the plastic to get to its battery. Accordingly [iFixit] gives this generation of AirPods a generous 2/10.

Wireless earbuds are notoriously difficult to repair and outside of distinct offerings like the Fairphone Fairbuds, there’s virtually no way to repair damaged components. Well, it turns out that Apple has taken a slightly more repair-friendly approach with its latest AirPods 5.

The latest teardown from iFixit reveals that Apple is back to using pronged batteries, which are much easier to replace than the glued-in ones on previous iterations. While this is a small win for consumers, the whole process is still very tedious.

You’ll need something to clamp the AirPods to and then somehow… AirPods 5 are Apple’s most repairable earbuds ever.

AirPods 5 are Apple’s most repairable earbuds ever – com news ADVERTISEMENT AirPods 5 are Apple’s most repairable earbuds ever Post your comment Comments (4) Michail 30 September 2026 Apple Smart wearables Mobile hardware Wireless earbuds are notoriously difficult to repair and outside of distinct offerings like the Fairphone Fairbuds, there’s virtually no way to repair damaged components. You’ll need something to clamp the AirPods to and then somehow apply even amounts of hot air to the top part of the earbud so that you can melt the glue holding the casing.

If you succeed in opening up the buds, you’ll be greeted with the actual battery, which is held in with more adhesive strips. And if you’re wondering, no, you can’t swap the batteries between the left and right buds as they feature opposite polarities.

AirPods 5 teardown process (iFixit) This sole switch to pronged batteries is why the AirPods 5 get a 2/10 repairability score from iFixit.

Although a step in the right direction, it seems clear that if repairability or even simply being able to replace the batteries is a concern, the AirPod’s probably aren’t for you.