Man open-sources the self-repairable AirPods Pro case that Apple won’t make

Consumer tech has faced scrutiny over the years around “planned obsolescence”: making devices so difficult to repair that shoppers have to buy new products and toss devices sooner than they’d like. Now, one do-it-yourself-er is on a mission to prove that it doesn’t have to be this way. And he’s starting with the (original) Apple AirPods Pro.

Ken Pillonel is no stranger to tweaking popular designs in the name of user convenience and sensibility. We’ve covered other projects of his, like a $38 part for making the AirPods Pro case self-serviceable and support USB-C, and adding Apple’s Lightning port to a Samsung Galaxy A51. He has also modded the iPhone to use USB-C.

Today, the technologist revealed his latest concoction: an AirPods Pro case with a user-replaceable battery, USB-C port, and open source designs.