AirPods

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AirPods

Basic Information
Release Year	13 December 2016
Product Type	Wireless earbuds
In Production	Yes
Official Website	https://apple.com/airpods

AirPods are wireless earbuds designed by Apple. They first debuted on September 07, 2016 alongside the iPhone 7 and were released on December 13, 2016.

Consumer impact summary

Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):

• User Freedom
• User Privacy
• Business Model
• Market Control

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Repairability

Obsolescense

AirPods are designed in a way that makes them unrepairable, leading to customers having to buy a new pair after a few years of use. Apple can replace them but will not repair them or help you do it yourself. According to an expert from iFixit:

If you want to take this apart, non-destructively, to replace the batteries, as far as I know, that's impossible.

The rechargeable batteries in AirPods can experience fast-tracked degradation after a certain number of battery cycles, with two-year-old sets lasting for less than half of the advertised five hours.

Replacement over repair

Price difference between normal Apple service and AppleCare service.

Apple has a dedicated portal to purchase "battery service", which involves destroying outer parts, and replacements individual AirPods and charging cases. The replacement of one or both AirPods or the charging case has a lower price with AppleCare+ than without. Apple offers battery servicing for free with AppleCare+ and for a fee without.^{[citation needed - Add 3rd party citation (4 Apr 2026)]}

Freedom

Proprietary standards

Up until September 22, 2023, Apple used their proprietary Lightning connector on the AirPods' charging case, which forced the consumer to purchase Apple-licensed chargers.

Degraded operating system choice

The software-gated features that AirPods are marketed with are mode to only work with Apple's operating systems, resulting in device's capabilities that are on par with basic wireless headphones when paired with non-Apple devices. The software-gated features include:

• Spatial audio
• The ear tip fit test
• Auto EQ
• Control customization
• Find my earbuds
• Automatic device switching
• Conversation boost
• Battery life status indicator
• Automatic ear detection

However there have been projects attempting to regain marketed features of AirPods with non-Apple products, such as LibrePods.

Incidents

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product line. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the AirPods category.

AirPods Pro sound issues (2020)

The "Rattlegate" issue, which is officially known as the AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues, was reportedly frustrating for early AirPods Pro adopters. The problem primarily affected the first-generation AirPods Pro. Users reported:

• Crackling or static sounds that intensified in loud environments, during exercise, or while talking on the phone.
• Rattling noises triggered by head movement or footsteps.
• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) failure, resulting in a loss of bass or an increase in background noise (like street or airplane sounds).

Apple officially acknowledged the hardware defect in October 2020, and determined that a "small percentage" of units manufactured before October 2020 were defective. They launched a global service program to replace affected earbuds (left, right, or both) free of charge, provided they passed a diagnostic test at an Apple Store or authorized provider. Originally, the program covered units for two years after their first retail sale. In late 2021, Apple quietly extended this to three years.^{[citation needed (4 Apr 2026)]}

Despite Apple’s claim that only units made before October 2020 were affected, a significant number of users who bought AirPods Pro in 2021 and 2022 reported the exact same rattling and crackling. Because Apple’s internal database marks units manufactured after October 2020 as "fixed," these serial numbers are ineligible for the free service program. If you are outside of your standard 1-year warranty (or 2-year AppleCare+ window), Apple's official stance is usually to charge a "repair" fee that often costs as much as a new pair.^{[citation needed (4 Apr 2026)]}

Many experts believe the issue was a fundamental design flaw in the first-gen hardware (likely related to glue degradation or sweat ingress affecting the internal microphones) rather than a specific "bad batch." As of 2026, the service program has officially ended for the vast majority of users because the "three years from date of sale" window has expired for almost everyone who owned the original Gen 1 model. Because of the refusal to cover units made after 2020 and the fact that many "replacement" units eventually failed too, Apple has faced several class-action lawsuits (notably LaBella v. Apple Inc.). These suits allege that Apple continued to sell a defective product and misled consumers about the "fix."^{[citation needed (4 Apr 2026)]}

AirPods Max moisture issue (2021)

Main article: AirPods Max moisture issue

Moisture buildup inside user PatrikGustafsson's AirPods Max after exercising on an indoor bike.

Many Apple AirPods Max owners have reported moisture issues with the headphones. More specifically, after around 30 or more minutes of use, users have reported a visible buildup of moisture near the speakers of the ear-cups. Depending on the severity of the moisture buildup present, the headphones could fail between five days of use in the more extreme cases, to around three months of use. Additional conditions contributing to this issue include exercise or climate and humidity levels present when wearing the headphones. Apple has historically treated the AirPods Max condensation issues as "Liquid Damage", voiding warranties and likely prompting a $300 to $500 replacement.

The AirPods Max moisture issue has been reported thousands of times to Apple and it is very likely that Apple is aware of the issue. Apple has not provided an official statement, warranty exemption, or additional replacement discount for this product.^{[citation needed (4 Apr 2026)]}

Connection security vulnerability (2025)

Main article: AirPods connection vulnerability

CVE-2024-27867 NIST Assessment

A security vulnerability was discovered by Jonas Dreßler, which would allow an attacker within the Bluetooth range of any AirPods device to potentially spoof the source device address, redirecting it to another device controlled by the attacker and gaining control of the AirPods.

Products

• AirPods (1st generation) (December 13, 2016)
• AirPods (2nd generation) (March 20, 2019)
• AirPods Pro (1st generation) (October 30, 2019)
• AirPods Max (December 15, 2020)
• AirPods (3rd generation) (October 26, 2021)
• AirPods Pro 2 (previously 2nd generation) (September 23, 2022)
• AirPods 4/ANC (September 20, 2024)

See also

• Apple
• Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds