Last week, I wrote that my AirPods Pro case was dead. The battery wouldn't hold a charge, and Apple's only solution was to charge me €100+ for a replacement case.
Instead of throwing it away, I decided to try fixing it myself. It cost me €20 and took about 15 minutes.
Here is how to do it.
Finding a battery
I bought a replacement battery on eBay for €20. You need one specifically for the first-generation AirPods Pro case (model A2190).
To open and repair the case, I followed this video tutorial by iMeo:
The repair
The process is straightforward, but it requires steady hands.
First, you pry the inner assembly out of the outer white shell. A plastic spudger helps here to avoid scratching the plastic. Once the internals slide out, you need to disassemble the case further:
- Detach the hall sensor.
- Disconnect the flex cables for the setup button and the Lightning port.
- Remove the motherboard.
- Remove the old battery. It is held down by strong adhesive, so applying some gentle heat (a hair dryer works fine) makes it much easier to pry out.
Once the old battery is out, put the new one in place, and do all the steps in reverse.
The hardest part is reattaching the tiny flex cables to the logic board. They are incredibly small and delicate. I used tweezers and a magnifying glass to line them up. If you tear one of these ribbons, the case is done, so take your time.
The result
After clicking the cables back in and putting the case back together, it worked immediately. It now charges normally, holds a charge for days, and charges the earbuds without issues.
Paying Apple €120 for a replacement is a waste. If your case dies but the earbuds are still good, buy a cheap battery and spend 15 minutes fixing it. Just be careful with the flex cables.