This fantastic service turns AirPods from an expensive, disposable luxury into a sustainable product.
AirPod batteries last a few years, max, and when theyre dead, theyre dead.
PodSwap, on the other hand, is cheaper and easier.
Daniel Romero / Unsplash
Pair the replacements with your old case, and youre done.
Its an ingenious model, and popular.
The founders say that there is “a global demand for our service.”
David Leveque / Unsplash
Currently, the offer is limited to the US, and to AirPods.
AirPods Pro battery swaps are not yet available.
Why Doesnt Apple Do This?
The cynical take is that Apple doesnt offer easy battery replacements because it wants you to buy new AirPods.
It is also wasteful to dispose of something that is still perfectly serviceable when you replace its battery.
Especially when AirPods cost so much, and are otherwise very resilient.
Think about all those old pairs of wired EarPods you still have strewn around the house.
They probably all still work just fine.
Theres no reason AirPods shouldnt be similarly long-lived.
And while this sounds like a one-way proposition, in the end its beneficial for the vendors, too.
Knowing that a gear can be repaired might make you more likely to buy it.
