AirPods 5 Get 2 out of 10 for Repairability from iFixit for the First Time

The iFixit team published its teardown of the AirPods 5 on 29 September 2026 and, for the first time in ten years, gave Apple's earbuds not a zero but 2 out of 10 on its repairability scale. All of the company's previous wireless earbuds scored only zeros.

The pinned battery design is back

Inside, the pin-based battery design seen in the AirPods 3 — but not in last year's model — has returned: the cell is not soldered but fits into a connector, so it can be taken out and put back. Both versions of the earbuds got active noise cancellation and IP57 dust and water protection.

Opening the earbud without special equipment also worked. Instead of a soldering station, iFixit made do with a hair dryer on low heat and a clamp. The housing opened cleanly next to the driver, and after the adhesive strips were removed the battery came out of the body. A first attempt to go in through the stem melted the plastic, so the procedure still demands patience and care.

Swapping the batteries between the earbuds won't work: the left one wouldn't charge in the right earbud. There is no software lock; the difference is in the hardware — the batteries' polarity is reversed and the pins are welded slightly off-centre. The left and right cells are physically a little different, and there are no ready-made spare parts on sale yet, so a battery is used strictly for the earbud it is meant for.

The case can't be opened without destroying it

The charging case disappointed once again. The seams are tight, the inner layer could not be removed without damaging the plastic even with a soldering station, and the battery was only extracted after the case had been destroyed. Where screws would normally be, there are plastic welded seams. Apple still does not provide parts or instructions, and its self-repair program does not cover the earbuds.

2 out of 10 is the highest score in the history of the AirPods and honest progress, but it is still far from proper repairability. For comparison, iFixit cites Fairphone's Fairbuds, where the batteries can be replaced both in the earbuds and in the case. Apple is expected to offer parts, guides and a case that opens without cuts.

Image: Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia CC BY 2.0 · License

Translation editors: Соловьев В., Пеков А.