iFixit Finally Pulls Batteries From AirPods 5 Using Only a Hair Dryer

iFixit scored the AirPods 5 a 2 out of 10, a number that only looks small next to the perfect zeros every earlier pair earned, including the AirPods Pro 3. For ten years the buds left the factory sealed so completely that a dead cell meant a new pair. Apple moves something like 80 million sets a year, and most of them have ended as small pieces of trash once the batteries quit.

Heat is what eventually gives way and loosens the earbuds. A very tiny seam is located just above the model printing on the stem. If you use a hair drier on a low setting, rotating the nozzle around and keeping it well back from the plastic, the adhesive will soften enough to peel it. Fortunately, we got lucky the first time around with a stem, and it simply melted the housing. With a clamp to keep the bud steady and with caution around the driver, he was able to get a clean opening.

The glue strips along the sides of the battery cell came off, allowing him to remove the battery with the metal prongs still connected. Those prongs behave like a plug, so nothing has to be desoldered. Shops repairing the AirPods 3, which used a similar pronged cell, needed solvents, a jig, and a rework station. Here a common dryer and a clamp were enough, and the reaction in the iFixit office was closer to disbelief than routine.

Left and right cells will not switch places. Polarity runs in the opposite direction on each side, and the prongs are slightly off center in various places. Try placing a left battery in a right bud; it will never charge, even if your phone says it is full. The parts may appear to be related, but they are only built in a matched pair.

Charging cases are as durable as they have ever been. Seams are tight, there’s a second layer of glue inside, and plastic welds replace screws. We ended up having to pry, chop, and bust through a lot of frustration before we could get to the battery, by which time the case was pretty much damaged. It’s worth mentioning that other earbuds, such as the Fairbuds, have demonstrated that the case can be opened for a cell exchange without causing significant damage.

Apple has yet to provide us with replacement cells or a repair guide, and Self Service Repair does not even include these buds. However, if you’re a careful owner or a professional shop, you can now keep the earbuds functioning for longer than their original batteries, which is a significant improvement after a decade of sealed pairs. Meanwhile, the charging case remains a somewhat disposable item. He completed his task by requesting that Apple send over certain parts, documentation, and a shell that does not make a mess when opened.