# AirPods 5 batteries can finally be replaced, iFixit's teardown finds

Source: https://idevice.com/airpods-5-batteries-can-finally-be-replaced-ifixit-s-teardown-finds
Published: 2026-09-29

> A worn battery no longer has to mean new earbuds, but the swap is a technician's job and the charging case still can't be opened without breaking it.

Each AirPods 5 earbud uses a pronged battery that iFixit pulled out with tongs and unplugged, the same design Apple used in the AirPods 3 and dropped for the AirPods 4. Getting inside took [a hair dryer to soften the adhesive and a clamp to hold the earbud still](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/29/ifixit-airpods-5-teardown/). That was enough for the first AirPods score above zero, a 2 out of 10 after a decade of zeros. The two batteries are not interchangeable, because the left and right use reversed polarity.

[Going any further into the earbuds still destroys them](https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/29/ifixit-teardown-of-the-new-airpods-5-reveals-first-real-repairability-improvement/), and the charging case is just as sealed; iFixit called it "still a disaster." What changes is the battery. iFixit says skilled technicians and intrepid DIYers should be able to replace it "with a decent success rate," so a tired battery can now be a repair instead of a new pair.

## Sources

- [MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/29/ifixit-airpods-5-teardown/) (MacRumors)
- [9to5Mac](https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/29/ifixit-teardown-of-the-new-airpods-5-reveals-first-real-repairability-improvement/) (9to5Mac)