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Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Receive Mixed Reviews on Repairability
Confirmed
In Short: The Series 12's battery pull tab is a welcome change, but the overall repairability score remains low, indicating that Apple has more work to do in this area.
The Ultra 4 received a repairability score of 4 out of 10, the same as its predecessor, indicating no significant improvements in repairability.
According to iFixit, the Series 12 showed slight improvements, with the addition of a stretch-release adhesive tab and a pull tab that make the battery easier to remove.
Shahram Mokhtari, who has covered Apple news since 2012, noted that the tolerances around the Series 12's display are tighter than on the Ultra 4, requiring significant force to open.
Replacing the battery in the Ultra 4 still requires removing the screen, which remains a significant drawback in repairability.
The Series 12's battery, rated at 1.461 Wh, is slightly larger than the 1.403 Wh battery in the Series 11, but the screen must still be removed to access it.
Apple simplified the display connection in the Series 12, replacing the ZIF connector and tape with a press connector under a bracket.
Despite these changes, iFixit's teardown of the Ultra 4 revealed that replacing the 2.444 Wh battery (versus 2.313 Wh in the Ultra 3) still requires removing the screen.
Anurag Chawake from Cult of Mac noted that the Apple Watch's repairability barely budged this year, highlighting the ongoing challenges in DIY repairs.
Apple's Self Service Repair Program, launched in 2022, currently covers iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, displays, and a couple of audio products, but not the Apple Watch.
The Pixel Watch 5, in contrast, earned a repairability score of 9 out of 10, showcasing what is possible with more accessible design.
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $549 CAD in Canada, while the Ultra 4 starts at $1,099 CAD, reflecting their premium positioning.
What this adds
The exact battery capacity of the Ultra 4 is 2.444 Wh, while the Series 12's battery capacity is 1.461 Wh.
The Pixel Watch 5's high repairability score of 9 out of 10 serves as a benchmark for what Apple could achieve with its own devices.
What's confirmed
- Concluding iFixit’s teardown sequence for Apple’s September launches, iFixit today published the teardown of the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4.
What's still developing
- He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.
- “By law in the ten states that have passed electronics Right to Repair, we should be able to get those same materials,” iFixit said.
- They say the Series 12’s battery comes out more easily than its predecessors, thanks to Apple adding a stretch-release adhesive tab that pulled apart relatively easily. (When working on previous models, techs needed to pry out the battery using a specialized tool called a spudger.) “Our teardowns of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 show that battery changes are absolutely possible, though there is still an expensive screen between you and the consumable battery,” iFixit wrote Tuesday.
- While the Apple Watch keeps getting better at everything from health tracking to battery life, fixing one still proves challenging.
- “We also found a simpler display connection,” iFixit said.
- Repair site iFixit this week continued taking apart the latest Apple devices, this time tearing down the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
- The Series 12 also drops the ZIF connector that made repairs more difficult, which makes for a simpler process.
- With the pull tab and the improved cable layout, iFixit gave the Apple Watch Series 12 a repairability score of 4 out of 10, an improvement over the last base model iFixit scored.
- It also scores 4 out of 10, matching the previous three generations.
- We reviewed the Apple Watch Series 12 last week and found the upgrade makes more sense the further back you’re coming from. iFixit also points to Google’s Pixel Watch as an example of what is possible.
- Those changes helped it earn a 4 out of 10, one point higher than the last base Apple Watch scored by iFixit.
- Its battery grows to 2.444 Wh from 2.313 Wh in the Ultra 3, while the sensor layout now uses more LEDs spread across a wider area.