Apple makes the AirPods 5 slightly less hostile to repair
Apple's latest AirPods have received a slightly improved repairability score from iFixit, moving from zero to two out of ten. While the batteries are now replaceable due to a new pronged design, the process remains difficult and requires specialized tools.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between consumer electronics manufacturers' design choices and the 'right to repair' movement.
Replaceable earbud batteries lift iFixit score from zero to a dizzying two out of ten
Apple's latest AirPods make a small concession to repairability. And by "small," we mean they scored two out of ten rather than zero.
Every previous generation of AirPods tested by iFixit has received a repairability score of zero out of ten. "We've bled for AirPods. We've sliced them, melted them, cursed at them," the team stated.
Apple's earbuds resisted every attempt to repair them without destructive surgery. The AirPods 5 have finally broken that streak – barely.
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