“How Apple’s Free Replacement Program Can Get You New AirPods Pro Instantly”
We’ve all been through that. You’ve just left the house, hopped on the train, or set foot in the gym, and you’re mentally primed for the dopamine rush of that first killer track when your Apple AirPods Pro earbuds trigger that soul-crushing “Out of Charge” jingle. your heart sinks Catastrophe. Now you actually have to listen to the outside world for the first time in months (*shudder*).
The unfortunate loss of battery happens to the best of us at the best of times. But what if your AirPods Pro just stopped working, period? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me last week when both my left and right earbuds decided enough is enough while I was three tracks deep into my latest Spotify Wrapped playlist.
It should be clarified that my AirPods Pro – which I bought in October 2020 – were fully charged and nothing went wrong with their Bluetooth connection. I could even hear the “ba-da!” Sound in both ears when I connect and reconnect them to my iPhone, but audio from any source – YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, whatever – was a non-starter. they were dead
In truth, I assumed this just happened to every pair of AirPods after a while. Like iPhones, they just pack up after three or four years of use — or at least start to slow down (a misconception that TechRadar’s Senior Phones Editor Alex Walker-Todd suggests you should use to your advantage if you’re looking for it). a cheap iPhone).
Apple released the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds in September 2022, so I quickly reconciled that I might just have to face the triple-digit cost and move on.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Framesira)
But no! To my relief, the lovely folks at Apple’s Covent Garden store in London replaced my two AirPods Pro earbuds completely free of charge.
Under Apple’s extended warranty program – or Exchange and Repair Extension Program (E1) – my AirPods Pro were deemed part of a defective batch of products (opens in new tab) manufactured prior to October 2020 and I was eligible for one free replacement pair. For comparison, the AirPods Pro first launched in October 2019.
Defective batch
As it turns out, Apple has been running this AirPods Pro replacement program since November 2020 — we even covered it ourselves when it first broke — and the Genius Bar techs at the store I visited were “very surprised.” [my AirPods Pro had] took so long.”
Interestingly, our original report detailed a two-year eligibility window to use the program, but my AirPods Pro earbuds were purchased in October 2020 and I was still offered a replacement pair.
Additionally, Apple said most faulty AirPods Pro products were affected by “crackling or static noise” or “Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected,” with mine simply not being able to process audio anymore.
Apple released the AirPods Pro 2 in October 2022 (Image credit: TechRadar)
The point is: if you’re still rocking a pair of original AirPods Pro earbuds and they suddenly (or gradually) die on you, Apple can still replace them for free. I nearly fell victim to my own Apple cynicism and narrowly avoided a $249 hole in my pocket may occasionally be a sensible animal.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that your faulty AirPods Pro will also be part of the above batch before October 2020 – and Apple usually charges a fee for battery replacement and general AirPods maintenance if they’re not – but it doesn’t hurt , to ask question.
If you’re not so lucky and looking for a whole new pair of AirPods Pro earbuds, check out our guides to the cheapest AirPods sales and the best AirPods Pro deals for your region.
Source: www.techradar.com
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