If you can't wait for Apple's long-awaited USB-C AirPods Max 2 later this year, or you already have a pair of AirPods Max and don't feel like spending another five hundred dollars on another pair of cans from Apple, hardware consultant and hacker devices Ken Pillonel has a solution: why not hack a pair of Lightning to convert them to USB-C?
And that's exactly what he did, and created a video showing how you can do it too using a kit he sells.
How to hack your AirPods Max to turn them into USB-C
As the video demonstrates, the process will not have to be that difficult if you're the hands-on type who tinkers with the internals of your gadgets; The full kit is available on the Pillonel website, which is linked in the video. We're not sure the average AirPods Max buyer will try it, but it could be a lot more intimidating than it is.
However, the hack doesn't add audio over USB-C – it's one-way only because Apple's hardware requires a firmware handshake, and adding that to the project would mean getting an authentication chip that would make the project prohibitively complex. and expensive. However, given the leaks about the Beats Solo 4 and the likelihood that they will have USB-C audio connectivity, perhaps we can expect the same from the AirPods Max 2.
Pillonel doesn't just hack AirPods for fun. Well, it is. But he is also promoting something bigger, which is the Right to Repair movement. Right to Repair believes that products of all types should be more repairable and that manufacturers should not be able to use legal and technological measures to prevent us from repairing products when they still have plenty of life left.
The movement, with a little help from regulators, has pushed many technology companies to offer more repair options for their products, but the right to repair does not necessarily mean that repair is easy or cheap, and some companies have been accused of sticking to the letter rather than the spirit. And don't expect tech companies' definition of repair to include support for mods like hacking your headphones. This will greatly void the warranty on your AirPods Max, so if it goes wrong, you won't be able to charge them at all.
We wouldn't recommend most people try this at home, but it's good to know you can if you really want your AirPods Max to pair perfectly with your iPhone 15 and iPad Pro M2 for charging.
