Youtuber designs repairable AirPods Pro case and makes designs available
Youtuber and robotics engineer Ken Pillonel has designed his own easily repairable AirPods Pro charging case. This case is equipped with screws and has an easily replaceable battery. Pillonel previously provided an iPhone X and AirPods Pro with a USB-C port.
To the repairable AirPods Pro case To create it, Pillonel completely disassembled the charging case and made precise scans of every part, after which he redesigned it in his design software. Pillonel then modified the parts so that they are held together with screws and nuts instead of glue. The mod makes it easier to open the case and replace the battery if necessary, without the need for soldering.
As with previous projects, Pillonel is making his project designs available for free. Users can 3D print these themselves to make a new AirPods Pro charging case. Users must also purchase a number of separate parts for this. The YouTuber shares instructions to receive the 3D designs at the end of his video. Users must create a Proton Mail account and then send an email to a specified email address, after which they will receive a download link. Pillonel also shares them via his paid Patreon page.
The project is currently only focused on the charging case; the AirPods Pro themselves are not yet repairable. Pillonel is not yet able to recreate the complex design of the earplugs, he tells The Verge. The mod also only works for the first generation of AirPods Pro. Pillonel has not yet been able to open the charging case of the second generation AirPods Pro without breaking it.
Ken Pillonel, who studied robotics, is a well-known YouTuber who often mods Apple devices. The YouTuber previously provided an iPhone X with a USB-C port and posted instructions for that mod online. Earlier this year, he released a PCB design that allows users to also power their AirPods Pro case with USB-C. The new repairable AirPods Pro case is compatible with this USB-C mod.
Source: Ken Pillonel / Exploring the Simulation