Apple’s AirPods Are Unrepairable and Unrecyclable – iFixit

Apple announced the AirPods. 

The delayed release of the AirPods signaled that Apple was not really finished with the product before the announcement. Now that Apple has finally started shipping these wireless AirPods, iFixit took it to the lab to tear it down.

According to iFixit, the new AirPods are not so great after all as they offer zero chance of reparability. Also, they tiny earpieces need to be literally destroyed to get inside, making them almost unrecyclable as well.
iFixt slams the product as low quality which is unexpected of a brand like Apple:

Our X-ray imagery shows some quality issues in this chip’s solder joints. Empty spaces, known as voiding, could be evidence of low quality standards, or a rushed product release. Could issues with the AirPod case be what delayed release?
iFixit rated the product zero in terms of repairability. 

This is because you actually need to destroy the casing to get inside,as we begin to pull out the boards, cables, and other bits, we’re reminded of a certain wearable repair nightmare. If jamming complex components into a small form factor and sealing it with a copious amount of glue were a game, Apple would be winning

What remains in the earbud is a hot mess of cables and adhesive, and none of it seems particularly keen on coming out. So we turn to the stem, hoping for another entry point. Instead, we encounter a waterfall of glue

Accessing any case component is impossible without destroying the outer casing, earning the AirPods a nigh-unprecedented 0/10 on our repairability scale.
Well, as much as what iFixit says is true, a compact wireless piece of listening device like the AirPods would be impossible without jamming it all together.