Apple AirPods Pro 3 Earn Atrocious 0/10 DIY Repair Score In iFixIt's Teardown
The teardown surgeons at iFixIt did not mince any words when evaluating Apple's fancy new AirPods Pro 3, calling the company's latest-generation flagship earbuds "some of the most unrepairable and wasteful products you could possibly buy." When all was said and done, the AirPods Pro 3 walked away with a dismal 0 out of 10 score for repairability. How did these earbuds fail so spectacularly in the teardown analysis?
It's a familiar story rooted in the disposable nature of many earbuds, including premium models that cost hundreds of dollars. The unfortunate reality is that the built-in batteries on earbuds will eventually stop holding a charge, wearing out over time. When that happens, your earbuds essentially become e-waste
"We’ve hated AirPods for a long time. Six years ago, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens called them 'evil' when he talked to Vice reporter Caroline Haskins. She agreed, calling them a 'tragedy', explaining that when the battery stops holding a charge after about 18 months, they’ll 'slowly become unusable' and can’t be repaired or recycled," iFixIt states in its teardown. "Sadly, behind the shiny spec sheet, AirPods are still a tragedy. The AirPods Pro 3 are as unfixable as ever."
See what we mean about not mincing words? The frustration comes from a history of poor DIY repairability, with iFixIt pointing out that the first time it attempted to take apart a set of AirPods back in 2016, the teardown tech in charge "literally bled" on the table trying to figure out a way to slice them open.
"AirPods 2 in 2019, same deal, and same for the Pro. Deja vu in 2022. And again in 2024. AirPods Max, the over-ear headphones, fared startlingly better. But the classic in-ear buds have scored a zero, again and again," the site states.
The AirPods Pro 3 stick to the same non-repairable script. According to the teardown analysis, you have to heat the earbuds up to "just the right temperature" and then carefully pry them open using sharp tools, which have a high risk of permanently scarring the earbuds.
Once inside, you'll find that the coin-cell battery is firmly glued, requiring more heat, tweezers, "and a lot of luck." But it's not just the glue. The design routes flex cables through solder points and glued channels, making the earbuds "nearly impossible" to put back together. If you slip up, you risk breaking the microphone array or ANC hardware.
"After hours of careful work, we ended up with shards of plastic, torn ribbon cables, and destroyed drivers. Not exactly a success story," iFixIt says.
Adding to the frustration, the coin-cell batteries are technically replaceable, but the earbuds themselves are "disposable by design," hence the 0/10 score.
Is Apple alone in this regard? No, though not all wireless earbuds fare quite as poorly for DIY repairs. iFixIt maintains an ongoing list of scores, which shows the JBL Vibe 200TWS scoring 0 as well and both the Google Pixel Buds Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds3 earning a 3 out of 10. However, there are some standouts, such as the Farphone Fairbuds (10/10) and Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (8/10).
Here's hoping the teardown specialists put our recently reviewed Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) under the knife to see where it slots in among the competition.
Teardown aside, the AirPods Pro 3 are generating praise for the improvements Apple made compared to the previous generation. We haven't tested a set ourselves yet, but if you're not bothered by the disposable nature, you can buy the AirPods Pro 3 for $249 at Amazon.
Images courtesy of iFixIt
