AirPods 2 Impossible to Repair, iFixit Says After Teardown

AirPods 2 were unveiled last month, and now iFixit has published its teardown revealing the internals. The iFixit teardown reveals that the AirPods 2 has no improvements in design, sans the new wireless charging coil inside the case. The last-gen AirPods were found to be nearly impossible to repair, and iFixit says that even the new AirPods 2 are "not designed to be serviced." The teardown reveals that no hardware components can be accessed without damaging the device, making the AirPods 2 nearly impossible to repair.

iFixit gives the new AirPods a repairability score of 0 out of 10. During the process of teardown, the company discovered that no hardware component of the earbuds can be accessed without damaging the outer shell. This makes the AirPods 2 unserviceable. Furthermore, iFixit says that the ‘sealed-in batteries limit the AirPods' lifespan, making them a consumable/disposable item.'

The teardown reveals that the AirPods 2 comes with the same battery as its predecessor - Model A1596 running at 3.81V and 398mAh, for 1.52 Wh. This is more when compared to the Galaxy Buds which houses a 1.03 Wh battery, and the Apple Watch Series 4 that houses a 1.113 Wh li-polymer battery.

The biggest takeaway from the teardown is that once it's taken apart, there's no putting it back together, something that wasn't the case with the Samsung Galaxy Buds. The company gave the Samsung Galaxy Buds a reparability score of 6 out of 10. In fact, iFixit calls the Galaxy Buds the "most repairable wireless earbuds they've ever seen."

AirPods 2 big highlights include its hands-free ‘Hey Siri' support, the wireless charging case, and the new H1 audio chip, which offers promised improvements in performance and connectivity. The new AirPods with the optional wireless charging case are priced at $199, while the wireless charging case can be purchased as a standalone product for $79.

The new AirPods are also set to go on sale in India ‘later this spring'. In India, pricing starts at Rs. 14,900 for the second-generation AirPods with the standard charging case, while the product with the wireless charging case is priced at Rs. 18,900. The wireless charging case will be available as a standalone product for Rs. 7,500.