AirPods Pro Teardown

– The ‘Pro’ label isn’t just for show—it means extra features to get excited about. The charging case has bulked up a bit, now weighing in at 1.61 oz (45.6 g), but that’s a small trade-off for the added battery life and performance. Enjoy active noise cancellation and Transparency mode to stay aware of your surroundings, plus an inward-facing microphone that adapts the sound with an intelligent equalizer. Powered by the custom Apple H1 chip with Bluetooth 5, these earbuds are built to connect and perform seamlessly. And don’t worry about splashes—IPX4 water resistance keeps them protected against water sprays. If you need help with any of these upgrades or repairs, remember you can always schedule a repair.

– The AirPods Pro come in a nifty little case that looks like dental floss, but with a twist — open it up and you’ll see those two little ‘Pods ready to go.

– Flip that case over and you’ll spot a quick backstory and a pairing button, both handy for getting things set up.

– We’ve seen some tricky situations before, so to make sure we do this right, we’ll let our friends over at Creative Electron take a peek inside with their trusty X-ray gear before we dive in.

– Things these AirPods might want to dress up as for Halloween:

– A mini jetpack for your ears

– An astronaut’s trusty life support system

– A teardown engineer’s ultimate puzzle

– Get ready for a showdown! What cool features does the “Pro” bring to the mix?

– Interchangeable silicone tips for top-notch noise isolation and a snug fit.

– A compact and sturdy body paired with a small charging case that’s just as stylish.

– Enhanced mesh grilles for optimal pressure balance.

– The bottom microphone grille is designed to shrink and angle outwards, making it perfect for crisp voice recordings and calls.

– Check out that fresh case model number—A2190. The earbuds themselves have their own IDs: A2083 and A2084.

– You’ll also spot the classic ‘no trash’ symbol. Translation: this gadget isn’t junk, and it definitely doesn’t belong in the trash bin.

– Down at the bottom, you’ll find the spring contacts that handle charging duties.

– Are these Pro Pods going to be less of a headache to fix or recycle compared to the regular ones? We’re about to dig in and see what’s up!

– Alright, let’s kick things off by swapping out the one part that’s meant to be replaced! Those silicone eartips pop off and back on with a delightful little click.

– With the soft silicone out of the way, it’s time to bring in the heat! We might not want to jinx it, but we’re feeling pretty confident about what’s coming next…

– A gentle squeeze from our trusty vise breaks the seal around the head of the AirPod, and our trusty spudger nudges it open just a bit more.

– Most silicone tips simply slide over a groove on the earbud’s exterior. However, Apple’s design has a bit of a twist and, surprise, is not compatible with your usual silicone tips.

– So, while you won’t be able to use your go-to aftermarket tips, the good news is that Apple offers their official replacements for just $4 in case your tips tear or disappear.

– As much as we love standard parts, these unique tips do have the advantage of a bigger opening for sound than what we usually find in earbuds.

– First up, we spot some glue inside. Not exactly a shocker, but still a bit of a letdown.

– Next surprise—wait, is that a button cell battery? Well, now that’s unexpected!

– And here’s another head-turner: the ribbon cable linking the stem to the in-ear part has a bit of extra slack on purpose, plus a tiny detachable ZIF connector.

– The connector’s got a light coat of glue, so separating the cable is a delicate task. But don’t worry, we’ve got this.

– At this point in the teardown, the AirPod let out a tiny sound—like a little awooo, if you will. Not saying it’s haunted, but the video team had a similar experience during their disassembly, and they recorded it. So it’s not just in our heads!

– And now, back to that battery…

– We’ve got a sticky situation: a moat of white, rubbery, alcohol-proof adhesive stands between us and the (heat-sensitive) battery. Time to carefully dig in—slow and steady wins this round.

– The battery’s hanging on by a soldered cable, so while you’ve revealed it, swapping it out isn’t a quick win just yet.

– Hold up—this battery looks familiar. Is this the same one we spotted in the Galaxy Buds?

– The CP1154 battery is about 14% smaller in volume than the 200 mWh CP1254. Quick math puts this little guy at roughly 168 mWh.

– Teardown update: After peeling away all the sticky bits, we found a tiny Wh rating! Turns out, our guess was close—the battery is officially rated at 0.16 Wh.

– Delicately poking around this mini power pack feels a bit like Explosive Ordnance Paleontology (EOP)—not an official term, but it gets the point across.

– With the battery hanging loosely to one side, we keep digging in. That clear plastic brace was doing its job of holding the driver in place—until we gave it a little too much attention and pulled it a bit too hard.

– Next up, the star of the show—the (relatively) large driver. Lift it out carefully, and voilà, you get a peek at the microphone that listens to the inside of your ear.

– This part’s called the driver, but the real heavy lifter here is actually the voice coil that does the work.

– At the very end of the AirPod, carefully disconnect a tiny coax connector and gently free Apple’s custom SiP, where the H1 and other chips are tucked away. Thanks to the helpful community, we’ve got some solid guesses about what these chips are: the update is that we’re pretty sure these components include a Bosch IMU, which powers Apple’s Spatial Audio feature, and an STMicroelectronics accelerometer, which assists with speech detection and noise cancellation. While trying to open this package, we can’t quite pry it apart, so we’ll have to trust Apple’s word that it’s just silicon inside—no magic tricks here. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.

– We’re making one last cheerful effort to sneak into the stem through the cap at the bottom.

– Prying at the seam lets us pop off the cap pretty easily, but let’s be real—there’s no way everything is getting out through this tiny spot.

– After some careful disassembly, we’ve reached our limit—time to grab the ultrasonic cutter!

– Is all this mess really needed when we have those stunning X-rays? Absolutely. It sure is!

– The moment of truth! After carefully removing the plastic, we’re treated to a long, wiry bundle of goodies inside the stem. Let’s take a peek:

– A pair of shiny golden microphones catch our eye

– Some sleek, metallic antenna hardware is also on display

– Holding on tight at the top, we find the fancy chip package that’s home to the H1

– A mysterious black rectangle, flanked by metal brackets, has us curious – could this be the new force sensor? It’s likely a capacitive sensor that detects finger taps or a tiny strain sensor that measures squeezes

– Now that we have our ‘Pod in pieces, let’s grab the vise once more to gently pry open the holster.

– We need to apply a bit of muscle to reshape the case just enough to slide our foot spudger in, but don’t worry, it looks like we won’t be causing any lasting harm.

– With the right leverage and just the right amount of strength, that sneaky glue will surrender, and the inner components will make their exit.

– It’s all a bit interconnected, but so far this section is manageable—as long as you’re in on the secret technique.

– And yes, that includes the battery, which was a bit of a hassle to deal with last time.

– Here’s the scoop on some of the key chips you’ll encounter: the STMicroelectronics STM32L476MG 32-bit ARM microcontroller, the Broadcom BCM59356 wireless charging module, the Texas Instruments BQ25116A battery charger, and the NXP 610A3B KN3308, which is likely a charging IC. These components are essential for powering and managing your device’s functions, so handle them with care. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.

– This little silver guy hangs out near the top, right in between the charging pockets for the ‘Pods. What’s it do? It looks a little like a microphone, but don’t let that fool you!

– Earlier, we might have mentioned ‘battery,’ but we actually meant batteries — two of them! Or, at least, two cells, to be precise.

– At 1.98 Wh, the Pro battery packs a punch compared to the amateur AirPod 2’s single-cell 1.52 Wh case battery, or the 1.03 Wh Galaxy Bud case.

– Apple pretty much admitted these Pro ‘Pods aren’t meant to be fixed, just swapped out—same as the old ones.

– But honestly, we think there might be a slight edge here; maybe, just maybe, you could squeeze a bit more repairability out of these.

– Still, putting a taken-apart ‘Pod back together perfectly is pretty much rocket science—unless you’ve got a gig on the AirPod assembly line.

– So, our repairability score isn’t going to shock anyone.

– If Apple hadn’t made their stance so clear, we might have guessed their plan was to swap out the in-ear bits (battery, driver, and whatever else you find in there) and reuse the original stems with all the techy stuff inside. It’s not a huge win, but hey, it’s something!