iFixit has assigned Apple's AirPod Pro 3 a 0/10 repairability score, citing the extensive use of glue that makes non-destructive disassembly, particularly for battery replacement, virtually impossible. This design renders the earbuds and their charging case effectively e-waste once their batteries degrade, typically within 2-3 years. Critics suggest this approach is a deliberate strategy by Apple to drive recurring sales and maximize shareholder revenue, despite the availability of more repairable alternatives in the market.
It takes quite a bit of effort to get a 0 out of 10 repairability score from iFixit, but in-ears like Apple’s AirPods are well on course for a clean streak there, with the AirPod Pro 3 making an abysmal showing in their vitriolic teardown video alongside their summary article. The conclusion is that while they are really well-engineered devices with a good feature set, the moment the battery wears out it is effectively e-waste. The inability to open them without causing at least some level of cosmetic damage is bad, and that’s before trying to glue the device back together. Never mind effecting any repairs beyond this. Worse is that this glued-together nightmare continues with the charging case. Although you’d expect to be able to disassemble this case for a battery swap, it too is glued shut to the point where a non-destructive entry is basically impossible. As iFixit rightfully points out, there are plenty of examples of how to do it better, like the Fairbuds in-ears. We have seen other in-ears in the past that can have some maintenance performed without having to resort to violence, which makes Apple’s decisions here seem to be on purpose. Although in the comments to the video there seem to be plenty of happy AirPod users for whom the expected 2-3 year lifespan is no objection, it’s clear that the AirPods are still getting zero love from the iFixit folk. I consider earbuds to be a consumable item and therefore the pricerange i choose from reflects that. they came a long way, from a desktop computer, held together with just two non essential screws, everything clicking together, one piece holding the onther piece in place, to this monstrosity. it all started when jobs came back with the first generation imacs. horrible to replace a hard drive. Is there any way to make these earphones actually repair friendly? All of them that I’ve opened to fix (usually a battery replacement, can’t ever put them back together) have been held together by snap fit plastic enclosures. I honestly don’t know much about enclosures but I would imagine these would be too small to have screw holes in the body Well watches have a few dozen screws in them, so it should be possible, but probably not as cost effective as glue.. Especially to get the IP rating, a press fit could be tight but then I would guess that creep would be a problem. Although snap fits work well for a long time? Anyone with better insight to correct me?) I’m not against gluing elements, I think with the right tool it can be a good solution and reparable. I’m thinking of the back of the phone glued, sure, it’s less convenient than just a snap fit, but if I can just put it on my 3d printer bed and heat the back so that it simply opens without damaging anything, I’m okay with it. I just skimmed through the Ifixit video, but he seems to try to open the plastic earbuds with a metal cutter and then complains that it made scratches. Yeah, who would have guessed? Maybe a plastic lever (like you can find in cheap repair kit for phones) wouldn’t have damaged anything? I didn’t looked further electronic wise etc.. But sometimes having the right tooling (and it doesn’t have to be costly) is all you need to have the thing to be confortably reparable. Not whilst keeping the tiny form factor. The fairpods ones are noticeably larger; some might like that aesthetic but I can’t say I do. And that’s assuming they work as well; having tried a cheaper alternative, AirPods do know what they’re doing when it comes to making it work. I don’t think it’s reasonable to assume every device should have a battery that’s replaceable by an untrained consumer. And BT versions seem to change faster than the batteries wear out (albeit I’m not a heavy user), so I’m not convinced they’ll outlast the software/firmware/radio-version updates. And we know what batteries they’d replace them with too – the super cheap off-brand ones which catch fire. Anyone angling for this I’m going to suspect is an EMT doctor hoping for more work! BUT – they absolutely should take them back for recycling. As should every manufacturer. “I don’t think it’s reasonable to assume every device should have a battery that’s replaceable by an untrained consumer.” As far as I know, there are in-ear hearing aids with consumer replaceable batteries. Can any tricks be gleaned from that industry? I have the impression that hearing aids are usually an order of magnitude more expensive than comparable earbuds. It’s hard to optimize on all axes at once. Not without changing the form factor radically. The closest thing is Fairphone’s Fairbuds, which is a great effort but not quite as slick as Airpods. Have you ever had a batter explode in your ear? Can’t imagine why Apple would do things this way… i recently took apart an ipod nano (blast from the past) to properly dispose of its battery. It’s basically a squashed aluminum tube, with the insides slid into it. It has 4 tiny screws at the corners, which secure the end-caps on. So i was pretty impressed by the design! But, it’s aluminum and spent years getting banged around and each of the 4 corners was rounded/bent enough that there was no way to get anything out without destroying it. Maybe a more careful guy could have straightened out the corners. A mixed message — it is possible to do a good job on impressively tiny devices, but even so it isn’t a guarantee it will actually be repairable after regular use Could people please thing about the bottom line for Apple before they criticize their design decision. Apple needs to maximize their revenue for shareholders. Why should they make it easier to fix/maintain their stuff when that’ll just lead to people buying fewer overpriced hardware from them? They’re not a charity and their customers think they don’t have a choice. Apple is in the business of making money from their customers. The company that shreds it’s old devices rather than supply spares makes a device that’s impossible to repair. Colour me surprised. Apple's (AAPL) AirPod Pro 3 has received a 0 out of 10 repairability score from iFixit, a finding that highlights a significant ESG risk factor despite its limited immediate market impact. The core issue is a product design, for both the earbuds and the charging case, that relies on extensive glue, rendering non-destructive entry for battery replacement virtually impossible. This effectively defines the product as e-waste after its typical 2-3 year battery lifespan, positioning it as a consumable item that fuels a recurring revenue stream for Apple's high-margin wearables division. While the sentiment surrounding this issue is strongly negative (-0.85 for AAPL), the low market impact score of 0.3 suggests that investors currently weigh the financial benefits of this forced replacement cycle more heavily than the reputational damage or potential long-term regulatory backlash. The analysis frames this as a deliberate strategy to maximize shareholder revenue, a practice that stands in contrast to more sustainable product designs in the market.
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