My 5s lightning cables are still going strong, save for being dirty as heck. I look at the charging cables used in retail stores and I have no idea how they can be as frayed and worn out as they are.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AirPods Pro Teardown: Heavier Than Original AirPods, Different Battery, Same Zero Repairability Score
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
My 5s lightning cables are still going strong, save for being dirty as heck. I look at the charging cables used in retail stores and I have no idea how they can be as frayed and worn out as they are.
1.98
1.98 Wh - is that 500mAh battery capacity? I don't think so - am I wrong?
It's gotta be 50mAh capacity TOPS.
Where's my EE when I need him. Please help me.
Also - what is the weight of this battery. it's 11mm D x 5.4mm thick?
iFixit today shared a teardown of the new $249 AirPods Pro, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the organization awarded Apple's latest wireless earphones the same zero repairability score as both versions of original AirPods.
Apart from the replaceable $4-a-pair proprietary silicone tips that provide noise isolation and enhanced fit on the AirPods Pro, it's the same story as Apple's previous generation AirPods as far as repairs go. But there were a couple of new tidbits of information that the disassembly did reveal.
In terms of weight, each AirPod Pro bud comes in at 0.19 oz (5.4 g), which is fully a third heavier than the prior version AirPod earbuds. The new charging case is also notably chunkier, weighing 1.61 oz (45.6 g), compared to the original case's 1.34 oz (38 g).
iFixit also discovered a 1.98 Wh watch-style button cell battery inside each AirPod, replacing the pin-type battery found in the original AirPods. iFixit notes that this could be the same battery found in Samsung's Galaxy Buds, and those are replaceable, but Apple has tethered the battery to a soldered cable, so AirPods customers will have no such luck.
As noted by iFixit, Apple apparently confirmed on Wednesday that the new AirPods Pro are no more repairable than previous versions of the wireless earbuds because of their size and build process.
For its part, however, iFixit believes Apple could theoretically replace the in-ear portion of the earbuds and re-use the original stems - which include the System on Package (SiP), antennas, microphones, and Force sensor - but the company has chosen not to do so, for whatever reason. iFixit's teardown concludes:
From a customer perspective, this means that once the battery dies in the AirPods Pro, it will need to be completely replaced. The left and right AirPod cost $89 each to replace in the United States, totaling $178 for a pair.
However, the fees are lower if a customer has purchased AppleCare+ for Headphones. The plan costs $29 upfront, plus charges a $29 fee to replace a pair of damaged AirPods Pro or their case. This coverage applies for up to two years from the date AppleCare+ is purchased and is limited to two incidents.
Article Link: AirPods Pro Teardown: Heavier Than Original AirPods, Different Battery, Same Zero Repairability Score
1.98 Wh - is that 500mAh battery capacity? I don't think so - am I wrong?
It's gotta be 50mAh capacity TOPS.
Where's my EE when I need him. Please help me.
Also - what is the weight of this battery. it's 11mm D x 5.4mm thick?
Your first number is correct.
Watts = Amps * Volts
Watt hours = Amp hours * Volts
so 1.98 Wh/3.7 V = 0.535 mAh = 535 mAh
(3.7 V is not entirely right because voltage drops as the battery drains, but it will have to do)
Not couple, 2 years max given with history of AirPods, perhaps even shorter since the pro will drain the battery quicker thanks to noise cancellation
Blame the EU. They are pushing the PVC ban because they incinerate their trash and when you burn chlorine, it creates dioxins. They were the same people who instigated the whole leaded solder ban which causes premature joint cracking and product failure after 5-7 years. And the ban on HFC refrigerants which causes their butane fridges to explode and cars to envelope people in a cloud of acid fumes when they crash.
Basically EU listens to academics who say they can easily ban x to save the Earth, so they push a ban, but it quickly turns out the replacement technology is half-baked. Then California jumps on the me-too bandwagon, so basically everybody is forced to follow.
I have the original charging cables from iphone 4 and ipad 2. That's 8 years. A little care goes a long way.
iFixit today shared a teardown of the new $249 AirPods Pro, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the organization awarded Apple's latest wireless earphones the same zero repairability score as both versions of original AirPods.
Apart from the replaceable $4-a-pair proprietary silicone tips that provide noise isolation and enhanced fit on the AirPods Pro, it's the same story as Apple's previous generation AirPods as far as repairs go. But there were a couple of new tidbits of information that the disassembly did reveal.
In terms of weight, each AirPod Pro bud comes in at 0.19 oz (5.4 g), which is fully a third heavier than the prior version AirPod earbuds. The new charging case is also notably chunkier, weighing 1.61 oz (45.6 g), compared to the original case's 1.34 oz (38 g).
iFixit also discovered a 1.98 Wh watch-style button cell battery inside each AirPod, replacing the pin-type battery found in the original AirPods. iFixit notes that this could be the same battery found in Samsung's Galaxy Buds, and those are replaceable, but Apple has tethered the battery to a soldered cable, so AirPods customers will have no such luck.
As noted by iFixit, Apple apparently confirmed on Wednesday that the new AirPods Pro are no more repairable than previous versions of the wireless earbuds because of their size and build process.
For its part, however, iFixit believes Apple could theoretically replace the in-ear portion of the earbuds and re-use the original stems - which include the System on Package (SiP), antennas, microphones, and Force sensor - but the company has chosen not to do so, for whatever reason. iFixit's teardown concludes:
From a customer perspective, this means that once the battery dies in the AirPods Pro, it will need to be completely replaced. The left and right AirPod cost $89 each to replace in the United States, totaling $178 for a pair.
However, the fees are lower if a customer has purchased AppleCare+ for Headphones. The plan costs $29 upfront, plus charges a $29 fee to replace a pair of damaged AirPods Pro or their case. This coverage applies for up to two years from the date AppleCare+ is purchased and is limited to two incidents.
Article Link: AirPods Pro Teardown: Heavier Than Original AirPods, Different Battery, Same Zero Repairability Score
No way that is 1.98 Watt Hours - it's gotta be an error - or am I wrong?
The macbooks not being able to be repairs pisses me off but come one guys.. what sort of repair did you guys expect from moisuture proof wireless earbuds?
You know, your posts would be more useful if you actually elucidated why you think the number is wrong.
But doing some research, yes they are off by a decimal place. They should be on the order of 50-60 mAh, 200 mWh.
There "was"? Newsflash - low-cost wired headphones still exist. In fact, Apple will happily sell you a pair, if that's your thing.
Stop with the drama.
Thank you. I was busy with Halloween treats, and I got my answer, so thank you. it's just some "solve for X" algebra to figure out the mAh capacity, which is more useful to me. and I did not show my work - I used to have an EE for that, but he got a job at Google.
Well I looked at the number and in my experience a 500mAh cell is bigger
. uncommon sense.It's important because there will be a lot of this size battery in Shenzhen now - if there wasn't already, so it could be relevant for other product development.
Bigger question is for the take-apart wizards - they can't report mAh? There are reasons to do a take-apart, and if they have a purpose, this info is what you'd expect. I went to the fixit site and had to hunt.
I'd like to know the weight of the battery itself. It's now in a heavy metal housing instead of a typical lipo foil.
So current draw can now be calculated for the noise reduction sound cancelling whatever they call it.
How many hours can it run with noise cancelling running? estimate 5 hours? So it draws 10mA current. Voila.
Last edited:
Exactly. I get the concern about having to replace your $250 piece of electronics after 2.5 years of use. But environmental concerns about tiny AirPods are just pure trolling. I am sure all those people complaining NEVER use disposable straws or paper plates or don't throw away garbage bags filled with plastic packaging. Give me a break.
Yeah, because throwing away and replacing your AAA batteries are SO environmentally friendly and cost-effective!
1.98Wh - they know it to 2 decimal places too?
. Just for that, I suspected the number was wrong
Last edited:
No headphone jack, Touch ID or 3D Touch you and Tim Apple disgust me. Steve will be spinning in his grave no doubt.
The original AirPods have been available since December 2016. Your use of the term "max" is incorrect, since there are many reports on this forum of users with AirPods still functioning fine after almost 3 years.
There is some speculation on the iFixIt comments section that part of the AirPods Pro's much larger battery (~168mWh vs 93mWh) is being used to increase the lifetime number of charging cycles.
"Perhaps they went with a larger battery so they can limit it to 70-80 percent charging cycles in order to increase lifespan before it croaks, say discharge to 10 or 20 percent, charge to 90 percent so it doesn’t kill the battery as quickly? You’d have to tear one apart at full charge and at empty to measure the voltage to get an idea but its a thought. Since the battery is almost double the capacity, sacrificing 20-30% of that capacity for increased cycles still gives you a larger battery capacity than before."
Last edited:
my use of the term "max" is incorrect because anecdotals from couple users here?
well in that case i'll throw in my own anecdotal, under light daily use condition my 1.4 year old airpods gen 1 barely holds a charge worth of an hour or so, with many reports on this forum of users reporting even less. if your definition of "functioning fine" = can connect to the phone for a light phone call sure.
noise cancelation kills battery like nothing else, that is a fact, not a speculation. i have a pair of sennhesier wired noise cancelation headphones and every month i have to change the triple A batteries. they increase the capacity to acompany the extra drainage from the noise cancelation.
The wires will break in about 2 years (or less, and it's not an Apple problem), the battery will last 5+ years with normal use.
Totally expected. To make items like this with replaceable parts would be even more of an engineering nightmare and would likely make the product twice the size and/or completely unbuildable in the first place. Do people really think the oceans are going to fill up with discarded AirPod Pros? Goodness gracious, I bet everyone throws away far more offensive items every single day of their life, never mind once every couple of years.
Still, none of that will stop some people being hysterically offended, but hey ho
Looks like you missed the point completely. Let me spell it out for you.
Apple is using a watch-style, REPLACEABLE battery inside. They are taking an off-the-shelf component, and soldering it and encasing it in glue and plastic. Not a custom battery that can squeeze out maximum mAh.
It's a conscious design decision that turns them into a disposable product, and effectively creates a hardware subscription model. It is good for Apple, good for its' investors, but it is NOT good for the consumers.
That's the point of their distribution center, this is a multi billion dollar business, their job is to be efficient to make money....There is a lot more to rant about on Amazon, like their oversized boxes for little items.
not exactly.
Here's why your AirPods battery life is getting worse, and what you can do about it | AppleInsider
If you got AirPods at launch in late 2016, you're likely now only able to listen to them for less than half the time you did without recharging. AppleInsider tells you what's going on, and what you can do about it.
Your AirPods Will Die Soon
The surprisingly short life of new electronic devices