iFixit is hardcore when it comes to breaking open our favorite electronics to see what’s inside, and the website did it again today with the new Apple EarPods that just unveiled last week.
There is no repairability score for the EarPods, because they are “the throw-away kind.” Due to their glue blinding, iFixit warned the EarPods would never be the same if taken apart. In fact, an X-Acto blade was needed to cut the headphones open.
The notable tidbits from inside:
- The EarPod speakers house a diaphragm/ paper cone, a voice coil, a permanent magnet, and a cabinet. Previous Apple headphones used plastic cones rather than paper.
- The new design includes “larger cable wrapping on both ends” to sustain durability and minimize strain on the wires, and Apple removed the external microphone grate to make the EarPods more resilient to moisture damage.
The microphone in the EarPods’ remote bears the markings 2F17 045; we also uncovered another IC with the markings TI25ASGVI, which Chipworks believes to be an ADC, or a device used for volume-control duty.
Oh, and click here to see a size comparison of the remote’s circuit board alongside a U.S. dime.
Something to consider: Perhaps the new EarPods are so “mediocre'” because Apple wants to protect ears from the type of sound that only plug earphones produce. Apple sells many headphones, so producing a good sound that protects ears is probably a high priority for the oft-sued Apple.
Go to iFixit for the entire teardown.
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- Final layout
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- Compared to older-generation EarBuds
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- Packaging
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