It is possible to remove the headband from AirPods Max using only a standard SIM card ejection tool, which indicates that it is possible to swap headbands to obtain a different color scheme.
In December, MacRumors reveals the wide range of AirPods Max ear cushion color combinations when it becomes clear that they are magnetically adjustable and available for sale separately. Now it appears that ‘AirPods Max’ has a more modular design than previously understood, as indicated by MacRumors fora member “MayaTlab”, who highlighted the greatness of the Chinese YouTube channel Prelook.
As mentioned in iFixit’s breakdown of AirPods Max, it’s possible to easily remove the headband from ‘AirPods Max’ without disassembling the headphones. Users simply need to remove the magnetic ear cushions, fold the earbuds flat and place a SIM card ejection tool in a small hole above the speaker.
Here’s the trick and the best: despite the intricate joint, you can detach the entire headband of ‘AirPods Max’ with just a SIM card tool or a paper clip without opening the overhead.
When fully assembled, push two small springs into the joint a little in the right place, and release the clamp that secures the headband.
After the spokes are removed on either side of the headband, it is a small connection for the transfer of power and possibly data between the earbuds. It is also interesting that the connector has some resemblance to the Lightning connector. It seems likely that users will be able to swap the headbands of different AirPods Max units to achieve smaller color packs than non-stock than expected.
Replaceable headbands were one of the features presumably removed before the launch of AirPods Max. Before it was announced, it was speculated that ‘AirPods Max’ would offer unique adaptability with interchangeable headbands and earbuds, repeating the concept behind Apple Watch tires.
Apple’s VP of Industrial Design, Evans Hankey, said Apple is prototyping hundreds of AirPods Max designs over a long period of development. Amid significant delays, Bloomberg correctly predicted that Apple would abandon the concept of a replaceable headband to accelerate production:
Apple also scaled back the interchangeable features of the headphones that were a feature of the original concept. The latest version of the product probably does not have a replaceable headband, but may still include interchangeable ear pads.
It is therefore possible that this headband removal system is a remnant of the original, more modular approach to ‘AirPods Max’. On the other hand, this hidden feature may exist purely to promote recoverability, and may not be intended for general user interaction at all.
It is nonetheless extremely unusual that headphones that transmit power over the headband make the part so easily removable. The ease of removal of the headband and the small connection on either side seem to be a particularly well-developed concept and stand in striking contrast to the otherwise challenging repairability of the device.
Users wishing to remove the ‘AirPods Max’ headband still need to be extremely careful as it is not yet clear if the product’s warranty is invalid.