AirPods Pro 3 Teardown: A Big Upgrade: But Not for Repairability

The AirPods Pro 3 are some of the hardest earbuds I have ever tried to open. Just getting inside took way too long, so I had to go a little more destructive than usual. Apple did not make this easy, and right from the start, it was clear that repairability was not the focus here.

Breaking It Down

Once inside, I found two torque screws holding things together. After removing those, I disconnected the wireless charging coil, which at least came off fairly cleanly.

But then things got complicated. The battery is tucked up at the top of the board, and its cable runs underneath. The logic board itself is soldered to the frame, which makes battery replacement basically impossible without taking everything apart. This design turns what should be a straightforward repair into one of the most difficult steps in the whole teardown.

The Charging Port Situation

One of the strangest changes is the charging port. Unlike the previous generation, this one is not removable at all. If the port fails, you are looking at a much bigger problem than before since it cannot just be swapped out. That is a definite downgrade in repairability.

The Battery Surprise

Here is the kicker: despite all the new features, the AirPods Pro 3 case actually has less battery capacity than the AirPods Pro 2 case. With all the marketing hype about improvements, I was not expecting Apple to quietly cut down on the battery. Perhaps the earbuds themselves have more battery this year instead.

Final Thoughts

The AirPods Pro 3 might be a huge upgrade in terms of sound quality and features, but when it comes to repairability, they have actually gone backwards. Between the glued-down battery, the non-removable charging port, and the destructive opening process, repairing these is a nightmare. The AirPod Pro 2 case was at least slightly serviceable, but this one is somehow even worse.

Apple clearly wants these to be used until they die and then replaced. If you were hoping for easier repairs this time around, you will be disappointed.

At this point, the only thing more glued down than the AirPods Pro 3 battery is my hope for repairability. Where’s the EU when you need them?

See you in the next article!