Ken Pillonel does it again. Passionate about robotics and electronics, the Swiss engineer had already modified several Apple products. Today, he tackles the repairability of AirPods Pro and their connectivity. In a YouTube video posted Wednesday, February 8, 2023 on his channel Exploring the Simulation, the handyman shows how he replaced the circuit board in the case of Apple’s earphones to repair it. It now markets the electronic card for the most ambitious.
A 3D printed case
By publishing his findings, Ken Pillonel seeks to tackle the lack of repairability of the AirPods Pro case. In the event of a problem with the charging case, the repair is indeed very complicated, if not simply impossible. “Although maintenance is semi-possible, the non-modular and sticky design, as well as the absence of spare parts, make any repair as impractical as it is expensive”, assured iFixit by dismantling the first generation. The specialist site still points to the almost total absence of repair for the AirPods Pro 2.
In an attempt to provide a concrete answer to this problem, the engineer shared on Github the model to 3D print a new case for the AirPods Pro, because it is complicated to access the electronics without breaking the shell. Finally, for more simplicity, the hacker markets on his website the printed circuit developed by him allowing to operate the box using USB-C. Pre-assembled components sold for CHF 34.90 each, or €40 or more than €250 for a set of 10. The equipment marketed works with both generations of devices.
Reduce the amount of electronic waste
“The objective of this project is to maximize the number of successful repairs to minimize the amount of electronic waste. A spare battery can be purchased online, but this is the only spare available. If a charging port is broken, there is no way to replace it except by getting a spare from another device”explains Ken on his YouTube channel.
Ken Pillonel has been known for many years for his reverse engineering videos, especially of Apple products. In October 2021, he was notably able to replace the Lightning port of an iPhone with a USB-C socket. A technological feat that allowed him to sell the modified device for nearly $86,000. More than technical challenges, his videos are a call to the Cupertino company and all manufacturers of electronic devices for more repairability.