Apple's New AirPods Pro 3 'Impossible to Repair', Says iFixit
Apple's latest AirPods Pro 3 have hit the stores, priced at €249. Tech repair service iFixit has dissected them, revealing a design that's far from user-friendly when it comes to repairs.
iFixit found that neither the AirPods Pro 3 nor the charging case is designed with easy repair in mind. The repairability score is a mere 0 out of 10. Replacing batteries, for instance, is very difficult. Each AirPod has a 0.221 Wh battery, and the case has a 1.334 Wh cell, all sealed and hard to access.
Opening the cases requires heat treatment and a sharp knife, which inevitably causes plastic damage. This is a significant change from the AirPods Pro 2, which had a 30-hour battery life and were slightly easier to repair. The new model offers 8 hours of playtime on its own and 24 hours with the case, but at the cost of repairability.
The AirPods Pro 3, despite their improved isolation thanks to the thin foam layer in the ear tips, are 'impossible to repair' according to iFixit. This raises concerns about their environmental impact and the potential for planned obsolescence.
