Airpod Replacement Firmware Mismatch

Recently, I experienced a malfunction with my right AirPods and sought assistance from Apple. I paid $90 for a replacement, which I was instructed to leave closed and charging for 30 minutes. Despite attempting various troubleshooting steps on Reddit, the Apple community, support, and third-party Apple support forums, the issue persisted.

I subsequently contacted Apple support, who provided me with the same troubleshooting instructions, which, unsurprisingly, yielded no results. Notably, the left AirPods are equipped with a newer firmware, while the replacement AirPods are on an older firmware, preventing synchronization.

While I can connect both AirPods separately as individual devices, attempting to pair them together results in an amber flash or a brief display of “solid white” before the pairing process terminates.

I have exhausted all available troubleshooting options and have exhausted my patience. I have left the AirPods open and charging overnight, closed and charging overnight, and attempted pairing and unpairing them multiple times.

I am at my wits’ end and would appreciate any assistance beyond the numerous links to Apple support sites that I have already explored. If it is pertinent, the firmware version of the left AirPods is 7a302, while the firmware version of the replacement AirPods is 6f8.