The AirPods Pro 3 Buds Are Secretly Easier to Repair
Let’s get one thing straight: these still absolutely suck to open. The shells are glued shut, and just cracking one open requires heat, patience, and tools that most people don’t own. Like every other AirPods teardown, the plastic leaves marks and the buds will never look factory fresh again once you split them apart.
But once you fight your way inside, the AirPods Pro 3 have a surprise waiting.
A Press Connector at Last
In previous generations, replacing an AirPod battery was a nightmare. The tiny cell was glued in and wired directly, which meant tons of glue scraping, heat, and often soldering. For most people, that made the job nearly impossible.
The AirPods Pro 3 change things. For the first time, Apple used a simple press connector to attach the battery. That means once you get the shell open, you can:
Disconnect the press connector to cut power safely.
Work the battery free with tweezers and careful heat.
Swap in a new cell without soldering.
This is a big shift because soldering inside earbuds is incredibly risky, and the connector lowers that barrier.
Still a Tough Repair
Here’s the catch: even with the connector, you are still fighting a lot of glue and fragile parts. The battery removal requires a rework station for controlled heat, since the plastic shell can melt or deform above 100°C. And once you put in the new battery, you hit another problem, resealing the bud.
Reapplying silicone and adhesive never works as cleanly as Apple’s factory seal. The buds may look uneven, and water resistance is almost guaranteed to be gone.
Final Thoughts
So, are the AirPods Pro 3 easier to repair? Technically yes. Practically no.
That new press connector makes battery replacement more approachable than before. But the overall design is still glued, fragile, and built to be disposable. If your AirPods Pro 3 battery dies, you might have a slightly better shot at replacing it, just don’t expect a flawless finish when you put it back together.
See you in the next article!
