After the iPhone 16 then the iPhone 16 Pro, the famous repair site iFixit tackled the new AirPods by sharing a teardown video of the AirPods 4. More precisely, these are the latest wireless headphones without active cancellation noise (ANC). In addition, American DIYers have also reverse engineered the “new” AirPods Max with USB-C port.
A zero for AirPods 4
Unsurprisingly, iFixit says the AirPods remain a “nightmare to take apart,” with the earbuds scoring the lowest possible rating of 0/10 on the specialist’s repairability scale.
For good reason, the AirPods 4 are greatly similar to the AirPods 3 in terms of internal design structure. One of the most notable limitations is that there is still no way to easily replace the battery inside the AirPods case. iFixit points out that Samsung, Sony and other competitors have fixed this issue on their respective products.
The AirPods 4 charging case without ANC is equipped with a 345 mAh battery. This is the same battery size as in the AirPods 3 charging case.
iFixit’s video focuses specifically on the cheaper AirPods 4, those without active noise cancellation, noting that the only difference between the two models is “a single outward-facing microphone.”
AirPods Max: always the same
iFixit also teased the AirPods Max 2024, which launched alongside the AirPods 4 last month. Beyond the USB-C port instead of the Lightning port, the earbuds feature no differences from the original AirPods Max. It’s literally the same headset, but with a USB-C jack that currently limits wired listening without losing quality. A shame.
It is difficult to recommend the AirPods Max in 2024, Apple should offer a real v2 within one or two years maximum.
