A smarty-smart pants robotics and engineering student, Ken Pillonel, has taken note of one of the worst features of Apple’s AirPods – their inability to be repaired, especially in the hands of everyday consumers.
Ken posted a video where he breaks down how the OG AirPods are not designed to be repaired or serviced, he also goes over his plan of being a super cool science guy and fighting back:
In his video, Mr. Pillonel highlights how to even attempt basic repairs, you need to bust into the charging case and break inside like a stranger in the dark. This fact alone was enough to give AirPods their 0/10 repairability score on iFixit, however it’s clear Apple was never keen on longevity since the AirPod’s charging case battery is built-in anyway – undeniably planned obsolescence.
Ken has created a 3D-printable replacement case with a replaceable battery that even features a USB-C charging port, over Apple’s Lightning port – because you can’t even purchase a replacement Lightning Port through Apple 😤.
You can even find the 3D printing files, alongside PCB files on Ken’s website, so you too can repair and f*ck with your AirPods! Thanks Ken, hopefully Apple doesn’t attack you with all the force of a trillion dollar company.
Note to Ken: if you see a clean-cut, buff, quirked up 61 year old rushing towards you… RUN. That’s Tim Cook and he will destroy you.
