Robotics engineer Ken Pillonel was the first to transform iPhone to work with a USB-C port in 2021. Since then he created a way to do the same for the AirPods case and even open-sourced his process. Now Ken is back with the first USB-C AirPods Pro. Here’s how he did it and how you can too if you’re adventurous enough.
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In addition to adding the convenience of USB-C to AirPods last summer, a big part of Ken’s motivation was showing that opening up and replacing the battery in an AirPods charging case was possible – a much more eco-friendly alternative compared to Apple’s recommendation of buying a new one.
After successfully modifying the AirPods charging case, Ken got a lot of requests from people to do the same with AirPods Pro.
Apple doesn’t design its AirPods Pro case to be opened (rated 0/10 for repairability by iFixit), but it is possible – although the process may create some damage. So along with designing a custom USB-C PCB and bracket, Ken created an AirPods Pro bottom case replacement too.
And just like he did with his project last summer, he’s filmed the process and made the resources for anyone to do the same available for free on GitHub. You can check out more details on his website too.
USB-C AirPods Pro mod
Take a look at how Ken made this latest project happen in his impressively detailed and fun video:
9to5Mac’s Take
It’s great to see Ken back again with a behind-the-scenes look at how he made this project happen and choosing to open-source the information for those who want to give it a try.
Like last time, while most AirPods Pro owners won’t want to tackle a project like this, Ken continues to call attention to Apple’s issues with functionality and repairability.
Notably, now that we’re in 2023, we’re getting close to when Apple is expected to launch its first AirPods and iPhone with USB-C this fall.
- Kuo: AirPods to switch to USB-C for charging alongside iPhone 15 in 2023
- Bloomberg backs report that iPhone 15 may switch to USB-C charging port next year
And if you’re curious about other ways to responsibly discard an AirPods case, check out our guide:
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