At one point, the AirPods Pro gets ironing
Share onScores zero out of ten possible points.
Scores zero out of ten possible points.
iFixit has unscrewed new AirPods Pro to figure out how easy or difficult it is to repair the earbuds.
Read our sneak peek: AirPods Pro sounds like a worthy upgrade
Impractical and uneconomical
Apple's latest AirPods model is simply slaughtered at this point. iFixit rewards the earbuds with as much as 0 out of 10 possible points. It is virtually impossible to do anything even with the plugs.
"While it is theoretically possible, the non-modular design, parts that are glued together and lack of replacement parts make repair both impractical and uneconomical," iFixit writes in its conclusion.
Thus, the AirPods Pro gets the same character as the original AirPods. These plugs are also known to be difficult to repair.
For example, the fact that AirPods Pro is no better in this area means that you cannot replace the battery yourself when it eventually dies. And the battery is going to die out, and for many AirPods owners it is dying out earlier than expected.
The case continues below the picture.
The silicone pads are incompatible with other earbuds
iFixit has also discovered a few interesting details. Both the AirPods Pro and the charging case weigh more than the other two AirPods models.
In addition, the silicone ear pads are revealed to have a custom and unique (proprietary) design, making them incompatible with other earbuds (of course, Apple).
The disassembly also shows that the AirPods Pro consists of what appears to be a traditional clock battery inside each earbud.
The battery is similar to what is in the Galaxy Buds, but unlike Samsung's plugs, the battery cannot be easily replaced in the AirPods Pro because the battery is fixed with a cable.