“Let me wear my AirPods…”
*proceeds to pull an Iron Man helmet out of their backpack*
I’ll be honest – is Casetify’s latest AirPods case practical? Hell no. Is it cool? Oh absolutely. Partnering with Marvel, the company debuted a few Iron Man-themed accessories, although none as on-the-nose as their AirPods case. Designed to look exactly like an Iron Man helmet that opens up to reveal your TWS earbuds, this little number comes with a stand you can place it on a carabiner clip in case you want to strap it to your backpack… and the best part, light-up eyes that should surely grab the attention of fellow enthusiasts.
Designed for the AirPods Pro and Pro 2, the case is roughly fist-sized, and comes with a painted plastic finish (although a chrome-plating would really seal the deal). The Iron Man head opens just the way the helmet does in the movies, although that doesn’t open the lid of the AirPods Pro case… you still need to flip the helmet open, and then flip open the AirPods case lid to get to your TWS earbuds. A bit of a hassle, sure, but heck… does it look cool.
The Tony Stark-esque holder doesn’t charge your AirPods Pro, however. It’s merely just an outer cover for storing your AirPods in, eschewing that boring white plastic exterior for something more edgy and cool. The best part, however, is the fact that the eyes actually light up. Relying on a single CR2032 coin battery, the eyes on the helmet glow in the signature blue when you shut the helmet, shining for 2 minutes before they dim out automatically.
Priced at $122, the Iron Man AirPods Pro case isn’t specifically pocket-friendly (both physically and fiscally), but it’s definitely worth adding to your collection if you consider yourself a comic-book aficionado or just a fan of the franchise. At least it’s big enough that you won’t be able to accidentally lose it, right??
The newest iPhones have finally jumped on the USB-C bandwagon, but there are still a few Apple products that still cling to the older Lightning technology. That includes all iPhone models before the iPhone 15, older iPads, and the majority of charging cases for the AirPods. A few months back, Apple did release a version of the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case, but you’ll have to buy the whole set to enjoy this upgrade, both earbuds and charging case. If you already have a 2nd-gen AirPods Pro that came with a Lightning charging case, however, you can now just buy the USB-C case on its own, but the price tag on this very optional accessory could have you thinking twice why you’d want to buy one in the first place.
To be fair, the USB-C charging case does have a few advantages, though the biggest one would be consistency between the most recent Apple devices. You won’t have to carry a separate Lightning cable, presuming you’ve gone all-in on USB-C already. There’s also this convenient reverse charging feature where you can charge the AirPods Pro case from an iPhone 15 using a USB-C to USB-C cable. Handy in an emergency but not exactly a ground-breaking game-changer.
Given the nearly similar features, the $99 price tag on this standalone USB-C charging case for the AirPods Pro 2nd-Gen might seem a little excessive. It also only makes sense if you already have the Lightning version of these AirPods Pro and only want to enjoy the benefits of USB-C mentioned above. Otherwise, it doesn’t offer any charging speed advantages between these two models and both support the same wireless MagSafe capability.
That said, you might want to upgrade from the 2nd generation Lightning AirPod Pro to its USB-C sibling for future-proof durability and features. The USB-C AirPods Pro 2nd-Gen has an IP54 rating, up from last year’s IPX4, which means it’s better protected against dust and small particles, though it’s still only splashproof rather than waterproof. It will, however, support lossless audio when paired with the Apple Vision Pro headset, at least if you can get your hands on one next year.
The USB-C case itself is also IP54 rated, but you won’t get the dust-proofing upgrade for the earbuds just by switching cases. That makes the standalone case less appealing for the majority of AirPods owners. Then again, there will always be someone who wants a complete and consistent set of products or may have had the misfortune of losing their original charging case. Fortunately, now you won’t have to buy a new set just to replace that.
Just go type the word AirPods into Temu or AliExpress and you’re likely to be flooded with results of earphones that look exactly like the AirPods, but most likely are just counterfeits. The AirPods, more than being wireless earphones, are a fashion and social statement. Everyone craves being seen wearing them, and that sort of crowd response doesn’t go noticed by folks sitting in factories in Shenzhen. Counterfeit AirPods can be found across an entire spectrum. Sometimes they’re just shitty $10 earpieces stuffed into an AirPod plastic shell, other times they’re so convincingly good that they even end up fooling Apple devices into pairing with them. The trick to avoiding falling for a fake is to simply ensure you’re either buying your goods directly from Apple, or a certified Apple retailer/reseller… conversely, you could do what Lumafield did by renting incredibly expensive tomography equipment to scan your products.
While I don’t endorse renting an Xray or an industrial scanner to look into your Apple gear, Lumafield’s endeavor has resulted in some wonderful findings. The company looked under the hood of a variety of Apple products, examining the difference between how real and fake ones were made. The findings reveal a lot of interesting trickery. Most of Apple’s products are engineered to perfection, but you won’t be able to say the same for a counterfeit. To cut costs, most counterfeits use unsafe parts, shoddy construction, unreliable circuitry, and even use metal pieces to mimic heaviness. Heck, sometimes they entirely miss components like some AirPods Pro cases not even having wireless charging to begin with. The point of the exercise, more than being an interesting comparison, was to highlight exactly how unsafe using some of these bogus knock-off products can be. A faulty product is the least of your worries when you think of larger implications like health hazards, exploding batteries, and gadgets being ruined by fake chargers.
Image Credits: Lumafield
CT Scans of Fake AirPods Pro: Unsafe Components, Metal Weights for Faux Heaviness
At the heart of AirPods’ convenience lies its battery technology. The authentic AirPods boast meticulously engineered button cell batteries designed for optimal power efficiency within their compact form. Counterfeit AirPods, however, use less sophisticated lithium-ion pouch cell batteries, crammed into spaces they are not designed for, potentially posing safety risks.
The disparity continues with the internal circuitry. Genuine AirPods are a marvel of miniaturization and precision engineering, featuring a combination of rigid and flexible printed circuit boards. The fakes? They’re assembled with much simpler electronics and off-the-shelf components, leading to reduced functionality and compromised sound quality.
The overall build quality also tells a tale of two products: genuine and fake. In some fakes, wireless charging is entirely absent, and others lack the necessary magnets for proper charging. Counterfeit AirPods even use internal weights to mimic the heft of the original, a deceptive tactic compensating for poorer materials and less functionality.
Comparing Real vs. Fake MagSafe 2 Power Adapters for MacBook
The differences aren’t limited to AirPods alone. Lumafield’s CT scans of the MagSafe 2 Power Adapter revealed a sophisticated power management system in the genuine Apple charger, absent in the counterfeit. The fake chargers lack the safety and longevity features of Apple’s design, raising performance and safety concerns.
Moreover, the heat sinks in the chargers differ significantly. Apple’s genuine charger uses a thin, complex heat sink, whereas the counterfeit opts for a heavier but simpler design. This difference could lead to dangerous hot spots in the counterfeit charger.
In the end, it’s a classic case of “you get what you pay for.” Those tempting savings might come at the cost of quality and safety. Opting for a counterfeit product isn’t just about saving costs; it’s about compromising on reliability and peace of mind. So next time you’re tempted by a too-good-to-be-true deal on AirPods, remember: the devil is in the details, and sometimes, those details are hidden deep inside.
AirPods Pro 2 stands amongst one of the best premium ANC earbuds out there, especially for the closely knit Apple ecosystem. They excel in fit, comfort and adaptive active noise cancellation algorithm, along with the stellar audio quality signature that I most like because of its closeness to the Harman Curve.
For people who love the AirPods Pro 2 because of its impressive features but are a bit disappointed when it comes to water and dustproofing, there’s an option. Those who carry their earbuds during adventure trips or are doing tough jobs in difficult terrain have no reason to fret.
An AirPods Pro 2 case cover that enhances the earbuds with an IP68 rating for better water and dustproofing. It provides a very high level of protection from the elements as you can keep it submerged in water for up to 6 hours and protect it from a highly dusty environment without fail. Dubbed Element Waterproof Case, this accessory boasts military-grade MIL standards for shock resistance from accidental falls. In fact, the protective case is tested with the MIL standard MIL-STD-810H. So you don’t need to worry if your AirPods case hits the tarmac hard after a drop.
The lightweight and durable aesthetics of the case come courtesy of the A6063 aluminum alloy with an anodized finish, silicone and the use of 70% recycled polycarbonate materials. The case lid locks in place with the side-mounted latch, and the hinges facilitate smooth opening and closing of the lid with a secure locking mechanism. The internal lining of the case gets IonPure antibacterial treatment to prevent any chance of micro-organism and bacterial growth.
Pairing a new device with your AirPods is also going to be easy with the Elements case as the back buttons are designed for easy press. Also, it doesn’t interfere in any way with the wireless charging capability of the accessory. For now, the accessory will be available in Japan, and availability in other parts of the globe can be expected by the holiday season.
While Apple may have dabbled with transparent earphones with their Beats Studio Buds +, their AirPods line sticks rather religiously to the white plastic construction. However, maverick engineer and YouTuber Ken Pillonel decided to switch things up and build a transparent version of the AirPods Pro. Known famously for building the world’s first USB-C AirPods Pro case, Pillonel’s set himself on a mission to hack the company’s products to make them more repairable, customizable, and user-friendly. The transparent AirPods Pro case shown here is a culmination of all his work, including an earlier project where he built a screw-based repairable version of the AirPods Pro case. Pillonel decided to try 3D printing the case out of clear resin to make something more akin to the Studio Buds +, or to the Nothing Ear (2). The result is quite eye-catching, to say the least!
The video at the top of the article chronicles Pillonel’s process, which involves 3D printing the AirPods Pro case’s components and then treating them to achieve a clear finish. Once done, Pillonel put the case together, assembling every part including the status LED on the front, a wireless charging coil on the back, and in signature style, a USB-C charging port at the base. A highlight of this build is that even though it’s transparent, it’s held together with screws, which means you can disassemble and repair the case whenever you want.
Pillonel used a resin bath to print in clear plastic.
While the video documents Pillonel’s entire process, the YouTuber’s been more than forthcoming when it comes to other people trying to copy his work. He’s listed his entire process on the website in a nifty step-by-step guide, and you can access the 3D files on his Patreon.
The prints were then cured before the supports were removed.
Pillonel spent over 2 days just sanding the parts to achieve this immaculately clear finish.
The results look fascinating, especially when the green light causes the plastic to illuminate in this overtly cyberpunk fashion (along with Ken’s branding on the ribbon cable that leads to the light). There are, however, some caveats – the AirPods Pro weren’t designed to be transparent, which is why the internal component placement doesn’t necessarily look as aesthetic as one would hope. The wireless charging cable on the rear has an almost industrial appearance to it, but then again, it’s a matter of preference. The third part is that the earphones are still opaque. Given how hermetically sealed they are, it’s virtually impossible to build transparent earbuds, so the most you can really do is apply a vinyl clad on them or give them a paint job. That said, the transparent AirPods Pro performs just as well as intended, with all the features you’d expect from Apple’s product. Ken’s design hack just makes things better by lifting the opaque veil on the TWS earbuds case… and by making it infinitely repairable too!
Ken Pillonel, the engineer and YouTuber behind the world’s first USB-C iPhone and AirPods, just revealed upgrades for the AirPods Pro. His custom build features a new 3D printed case that can be opened and repaired (thanks to screws on the back), along with a USB-C connector on the base instead of the conventional Lightning port. Pillonel’s build isn’t just a one-off custom project, though. He’s made his project open-source and available to the public, allowing pretty much anyone to upgrade their own AirPods Pro.
“The first and second generations of AirPods made by Apple were given a score of 0 out of 10 by repair specialists at iFixit. A few years later, the Pro version came out, and it still received a 0 out of 10”, Pillonel told Yanko Design. After creating the world’s first USB-C AirPods, Pillonel received a lot of requests for giving the AirPods Pro the same treatment. “The goal was to find a solution that gives a second life to the allegedly unopenable cases, which all face an inevitable end of life because of their built-in battery,” he said.
Not only is Pillonel’s AirPods Pro case more sustainable and repairable now, it’s also USB-C compatible (a feature that will come in handy as Apple plans to launch a USB-C iPhone soon)
Every AirPods case is hermetically sealed, and even an Apple employee will tell you that it’s cheaper to just replace the thing than it is to repair it. Pillonel’s journey started with needing to overcome this hurdle, and the easiest answer was to just build a new case instead of somehow trying to salvage the existing one. Pillonel was lucky enough to get 2 cases from people willing to donate them, which he used to create his own mockup. The cases were first inspected to see the internal components, and then their forms were scanned, modeled, and 3D printed with screw holes and an easy-to-open build.
The new case is practically identical to the original, except for the presence of 6 screws that hold the case and its lid together in place.
The tougher challenge, however, was upgrading the AirPods Pro to USB-C. “A replacement battery can be purchased online, but it is the only replacement part available. If a charging port is broken, there is no way to replace it except by getting a replacement part from another device”, he said. Given Ken’s prior experience in the matter, this seemed easier the second time around. He scanned the Lightning module and made his own custom PCB, to which he attached a USB-C port. He even created the custom plastic bracket that helps the component mount onto the case, pretty much completing the hardware-intensive part.
An issue that Pillonel unexpectedly faced was with the LED connected to the charging module. Apple’s AirPods come outfitted with a charging LED that glows red, green, or white (RGW), but most LEDs Pillonel could find were RGB, offering red, green, and blue instead of white. It took him a while to finally find a vendor in Japan who had RGW LEDs that fit his size requirements. With this, his charging module was complete and ready to be put into the new and improved AirPods Pro case.
“I realized that 2 million people watched the last video where a similar project is done for the original AirPods, and only a few attempted to repair it as shown,” Pillonel mentioned. He was banking on Chinese manufacturers copying his PCB template and selling their own parts on AliExpress for people to buy, but that didn’t seem to pan out. With this project, Pillonel’s taking matters into his own hands by actually selling the charging module on his website for people to buy. You can even find schematics for 3D printing your own AirPods case, on the off-chance that you happen to break yours while prying it open. In all fairness, the new case makes much more sense, given that it’s easy to open if you ever need to replace the battery on the inside (which will eventually degrade after a year or two).
A Master’s in Robotics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Pillonel has more projects in the pipeline that include a transparent AirPods case as well as upgrades for the TWS earbuds themselves.
Apple’s earbuds debuted in October 2019, and since then music lovers have been longing for the next version that brings more features and design improvements. Whether at the price tag of $249, the in-ear earbuds are worth the money, given all the other better options, is totally questionable – but still, it’s an Apple…
The next version of the AirPods Pro is slated to come our way this fall or later, and how they’ll look or sound is totally in the dark as of now. The global chip shortage may delay the launch to the latter half of this year – maybe even the holiday season. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a respected tipster, the earbuds will ditch the stem this time around for a more modern look and to be identifiable from the AirPods Pro.
Designer: Konstantin Milenin
In line with the leaks and speculations about Apple’s upcoming flagship earbuds, designer Konstantin Milenin has created this concept AirPods Pro 2022 model to give our imagination a tangible form. The stemless design of the audio accessories looks minimal and compact. The charging case also gets a flatter design to accommodate these little earbuds. Unlike the current version, these lay flat on their belly like a clamshell design, and don’t have an upright stance. This will mean, a lot less space needed to stash them in your pocket or keep them in the bag pack.
I would have wished for more renders of this concept design showing the innards of the charging case and even a demonstration of how the AirPods Pro 2 (yes, they could be called that) earbuds will look when plugged into the ears. Konstantin imagines these Apple earbuds to come in signature white, matte black, and royal rose gold color options. That’ll cover most of the diversified users around the world, so I’m actually looking forward to the real product when it is finally revealed.
Zarruck Taiseer’s mini AirPods Pro concept shrinks the classic AirPods to the size of two beans and the width of the charging case to the size of a pocket mirror.
AirPods are touchy creatures. While touch sensors are literally integrated into the design and construction of AirPods, the earbuds are also temperamental. Depending on the shape and size of your ear, users wear AirPods differently and give it some time, and each user knows the exact positioning that gets the best sound out of their AirPods.
Inspired by the iconic design language of Apple, 3D artist, and graphic designer Zarruck Taiseer conceptualized a pair of AirPods Pro that scale down the current model to the size of a bean. From its charging case to its silicone earbud covers, everything about Taiseer’s mini AirPods Pro concept is sleek in stainless steel and Polly Pocket-sized. One problem this concept does fix about the current model of AirPods on the market is the bulkiness of its charging case.
While the AirPods’s current charging case takes up no more room in your pocket than a small rock might, the girth and length of the charging case make up more bulk in our pockets than we might like. Taiseer’s mini AirPods Pro concept slims down the charging case to match the side of a half-finished stack of mini Post-Its. The narrow width of Taiseer’s charging case would fit snugly in the same pocket where you keep your wallet.
Wireless earbuds have come a long way since their conception in the 60s. Even today, we’re still pumping out endless iterations of the classic earbud because even the smallest of details matter during operation. While we seem to be downsizing our luxury items across industries, Taiseer’s Apple concept might benefit from a slightly larger build and more secure grips to ensure the smaller size of the AirPods doesn’t affect their hold inside our ears.
While all AirPods come with the Find My feature, Elago’s Snapshot for the Apple AirPods Pro case gives it another layer of security, letting you efficiently track it using the AirTag’s UWB chip and even locate it when your AirPods Pro is completely discharged.
It isn’t uncommon for most people to put protective covers on their AirPods cases. With their glossy plastic exterior, those cases are prone to scuffing and scratching, and the fact that they’re all-white just makes them easy to get dirty. The guys at elago figured that if you’re going to put a cover on your AirPods Pro case, you might as well add a few more features to it. The Snapshot case for the AirPods Pro comes with a camera-shaped design that neatly houses an AirTag inside the faux camera lens. Aside from looking like a tiny little point-and-shoot, the Snapshot protects your AirPods Pro from physical damage as well as theft. The all-silicone design helps absorb shock, while still enabling wireless charging… and the fact that you’ve now got an AirTag strapped to your AirPods Pro makes it really easy to use the Find My feature to track the exact location of your earphones.
The Snapshot’s overall design pays a hat-tip to Leica’s cameras (for their clean design and their repeated collaborations with ex-Apple CDO Jony Ive). Available in Black, White, and a Sand Pink, the cases sport a red-colored faux shutter button on the top, and space for an AirTag on the front. The AirTag can be fitted forwards as well as backwards, letting you either have the Apple logo facing forwards, or flip it over to reveal the custom emoji or initials Apple allows you to etch on your AirTag. The Snapshot comes with a carabiner clip too, letting you carry your tiny little faux camera with you on your belt loop or attached to your backpack!
White may be a pretty classic color in the tech world, but there’s nothing quite as classic as one of the world’s oldest and most popular materials – Leather. Bullstrap’s Leather Case (codenamed Terra) for the Apple Airpods definitely gives it a lovely handcrafted appeal. The case comes with black and tan leather trims, double-stitched together with robust Nylon thread, and lined on the inside with microfiber to protect your AirPods.
The Bullstrap Terra’s V-shaped design detail feels unmistakably like a popular cigarette brand, but while I’m the last person to ever endorse tobacco, it’s definitely memorable and visually striking. The V’s slightly offset though, creating a little bit of drama (which I really like, if I’m being honest), and the soft leather feels incredible to the touch.
The case cover comes with a two-part design that fits on the AirPods’ top and bottom halves respectively. Its precisely engineered fit prevents it from ever falling off, and it even has hole-punches for the LED notification light and the lightning charging port at the base. If that wasn’t enough, the case supports wireless charging too, letting you easily place your AirPods on a wireless charger to juice it up when the battery’s running low.
The Terra fits both generations of the AirPods, and there’s a separate variant for the AirPods Pro too. Bullstrap even offers a limited lifetime warranty on their leather case and offers to fix/replace it if there’s any wear-and-tear or a manufacturing defect.
