iFixit Tears Down Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, Finds Mixed Repairability Results

To wrap up iFixit’s teardown sequence for Apple’s September launches, iFixit today released the teardown of the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. Here’s what they found.

iFixit demolishes the Apple Watch Ultra 4

After applying heat to the screen of the new Apple Watch Ultra 4, iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari uses the company’s new metal pick to open the screen, exposing the battery and Taptic motor.

He notes that replacing the 2,444 Wh battery (compared to 2,313 Wh in the Ultra 3) still requires removing the screen, which remains a significant drawback in terms of repairability. The four screws on the bottom of the case provide access only to the sensor array under the back cover and the S11 chip on the case itself.

However, once the screen is peeled off, removing the battery and disconnecting the screen’s snap connector seems simple enough, provided the initial step has been done carefully enough to avoid slicing through any of the flexible cables underneath.

That said, without any significant improvement in repairability, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 scored 4/10 on iFixit’s repairability scale, the same as its predecessor.

iFixit demolishes the Apple Watch Series 12

iFixit’s teardown of the new Apple Watch Series 12 revealed a slight improvement in repairability, with Apple adding stretch adhesive and a pull tab that makes it easier to remove the 1,461 Wh battery (compared to 1,403 Wh in the 46mm Series 11).

However, like the Apple Watch Ultra 4, the Series 12 also requires removing the glued screen to get inside, which remains the biggest obstacle to repairs. Mokhtari noted that the tolerances around the Series 12’s screen are even tighter than on the Ultra 4, requiring enough force to make him worry about potentially damaging the screen.

Mokhtari also noted that Apple replaced the ZIF connector and strip used for the display on previous models with a simpler snap connector.

The trade-off is that replacing the screen now also requires removing and replacing the battery, “which, if you’ve made it this far, why wouldn’t you?” he adds.

Overall, the modest repairability improvements were enough for iFixit to give the Series 12 a repairability score of 4/10, an increase of 1 point over the last base Apple Watch model it got.

For comparison, iFixit gave Google’s Pixel Watch 5 a repairability score of 9/10, noting that its screen can be removed with just two Torx screws and a gasket, while its battery can also be removed without the need for adhesive.

You can watch iFixit’s teardown of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 below:

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