iFixit evaluated AirPods 5 repairability at 2 points out of ten

As noted by iFixit engineers, since the release of the first generation of headphones in 2016, the lineup has consistently received 0 points due to the abundance of glue and the impossibility of opening the case without destruction. In AirPods 5, specialists recorded the first improvement: the design was able to be disassembled using a hair dryer to heat the glue and extract the power elements without damaging the headphones.

At the same time, experts emphasized that the batteries of the right and left headphones are not interchangeable due to reverse polarity and different contact terminal locations. Access to the remaining internal components of the device without breaking the case is still impossible.

The charging case of the headphones remains unreparable. iFixit pointed out that it is still practically impossible to open it without destroying the design.