iFixit has published its teardown of the latest AirPods 5, uncovering a small but meaningful improvement in repairability. You can view the video below.
Record repairability score at 2/10
Since the original AirPods debuted in 2016, iFixit has consistently awarded them a 0 out of 10 for repairability. Heavily glued batteries, soldered connections, and housings that are nearly impossible to open without damage have made every generation notoriously hard to fix.
With the AirPods 5, however, iFixit says Apple has taken a modest step forward — provided the repair is performed by a skilled professional or a very adventurous DIYer.
In the new teardown video, iFixit demonstrates that the batteries inside each earbud can be removed and replaced without necessarily destroying the earbuds, which has earned the AirPods a repairability score above zero for the first time.
Admittedly, the AirPods 5 only achieved a 2 out of 10, but that is still two points higher than all previous generations combined.
iFixit points out that the left and right batteries are not interchangeable, as they use reversed polarity and slightly different contact placement.
Essentially, that sums up the repairability story for the AirPods 5. As the video shows, any deeper disassembly of the earbuds — or their charging case — remains impossible without causing damage.
The teardown also features iFixit’s signature CT scans, providing a detailed look at how densely Apple has packed the batteries, MEMS microphones, H2 chip, and other tiny components inside each earbud.
Watch iFixit’s teardown of the new AirPods 5 below, including a more DIY‑friendly attempt to access the battery using a regular hairdryer:
To read iFixit’s full article on the AirPods 5 teardown, follow this link.
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