The iFixit site tried to disassemble the AirPods Pro 2. Result, headphones completely destroyed and breathability impossible.
A few days following the release of the new AirPods Pro 2 from Apple, the iFixit site, which specializes in the dismantling and repair of high-tech products, had fun dismantling the headphones of the American manufacturer to find out what was inside them and, above all, if it was possible to repair them or replace some parts in case of failure.
Once is not custom, it is in video that the site disassembled the headphones, at least while waiting for the written dismantling version.
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Unsurprisingly, iFixIt laments that the new headphones “improve in all areas apparently, with the exception of the environment”. In fact, the video posted online emphasizes that the headphones cannot be opened simply by subjecting them to pressure on the link between the two parts of the shell. The same is true inside the headphones, with a battery and a transducer largely covered with paste to fix them. The paste is also found in the stem of the headphones, in order to better maintain the microphones. However, to reach the headphones’ antennae and touch controls, iFixit had to simply cut the stem in half.
It is obvious that Apple and the AirPods development team did not consider repairability at all. They are simply a dumpster fire in the making. E-waste recyclers hate these products, and now Apple has been producing AirPods for six years. After all this time, they have no excuse for not thinking regarding repairability.
Wireless headphones are too rarely repairable
iFixit also points out that wireless headphones in general, and AirPods in particular, are an ecological aberration… Fairphone. Remember that these headphones, due to their particularly compact format, cannot be repaired correctly and that the elements are often frozen with glue, when it is not directly welded to each other. In other words, when a pair of wireless earphones fails – due to mechanical failure, shock or simply battery wear – they are generally good to throw away.
Remember, however, that Apple offers a replacement program for its AirPods. In the event of a defective battery, or loss of one of the two headphones, it is possible to pay a sum of 55 to 109 for the AirPods Pro, in order to have a replacement model. Nevertheless, if this is an advantage for the consumer, it is not for the environment since, even in the event of a damaged battery, it is possible that the manufacturer provides a complete new earphone, due to the difficulty of replacing the only accumulator. However, the environmental impact of an electronic device is mainly at the level of its production, and not of its use. A new earphone, so it’s a bilan carbone much higher… especially for devices whose repair is as complicated as wireless headphones.
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