Replacing the batteries on the Maxes is actually a fairly straightforward process (no adhesive melting required, just a screwdriver and a pry bar), and spare batteries can be purchased on Amazon or Ebay for around 50 USD. It's one of the better Apple products in that regard, very unlike the in-ear models.
Did that change with the Air Pod Max USB-C, because iFixit says you have to get past adhesive to get to the batteries, after you turn the specialized screws only a quarter turn, and then use a dental pick to separate the pieces after you heat the adhesive being careful not to melt other parts?
>The next round of frustration: adhesive. That's right, releasing the locks and/or removing the screws isn't enough. Out comes the heat gun, which must be wielded very carefully to avoid melting all this plastic.
You don't have to melt through that adhesive - it's incredibly weak and you can just pop it out with a sufficiently thin pry bar. This guide [1] does it with an iSesamo, but I just used a utility knife since I had one on hand and wasn't particularly concerned with scratches (the entire seam is covered by the headphone pads, so scratches around it are invisible).
