Let’s say you have an AirPods Pro model in your hands that is no longer covered by the warranty, and which perhaps suffers from charging problems or case malfunction…. what to do? Nobody doubts the goodness of the original AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2, and the fact that they are among the most popular TWS devices even outside the Apple world is proof of this, but when the warranty coverage is lacking, we can Do?
We could ask Apple to replace the case for a fee or buy it from a partner shop, but given the high cost it could almost be cheaper to buy a new model, and in any case this is not the article to discuss the “official” intervention methods , so long as we want to tell you about an alternative modus operandi that goes further and requires a little manual skill.
The protagonist of this news is once again the robotics engineer, Ken Pillonel, who became famous on the Internet in 2021 for having created an iPhone with working USB-C, and who once again shows us one of his extravagant solutions on YouTube.
Pillonel actually created an end-to-end solution for those looking to replace the battery in their AirPods Pro case. This is obviously not a job for everyone, but if you are accustomed to small electronics jobs, know that Pillonel was able to design a replacement USB-C PCB. The engineer claims that it is possible to install it in an undamaged case without milling, isn’t it amazing?
Anyone who has been following Pillonel for a while knows that he is not new to undertakings of this kind and that he has too designed a USB-C PCB for the first and second generation AirPods, also uploading the project on GitHub. But this time everything seems simpler and this time it is also possible to buy the alternative PCB from its online shop (in VIA), priced at about $38.
What if the case was completely damaged or broke trying to replace the PCB? No problem, because Pillonel has also thought of this: the engineer has loaded a schematic on GitHub that you can use to 3D print a replacement version.
According to Pillonel “The goal of this project is to maximize the number of successful repairs to minimize the amount of e-waste.” Of course, most people won’t have the patience or confidence to repair their AirPods Pro charging case, but a project like this is invaluable to those who do.
AirPod ProAmazon Apple AirPods Pro (second generation)Amazon
