iFixit has torn down the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 and gave both a repairability score of 4 out of 10. The Apple Watch Series 12 gained a point over the last base model Apple Watch iFixit scored. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 matches the three Ultra generations before it.
The iFixit teardown found that both watches still need the glued display lifted before anyone can reach the battery. The team also used the teardown to argue that Apple is out of step with its own lineup on repair access in the US.
The Apple Watch Series 12 Gets a Battery Pull Tab and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets Nothing New
iFixit opened the Apple Watch Ultra 4 first. It took about ten minutes of heat to lift one edge of the display, and then the team cut through the perimeter adhesive with a new metal opening pick that has depth markings. The four pentalobe screws on the bottom are not a way in. They only reach the sensor assembly, and removing them compromises the waterproofing.
Behind the screen, the team removed four screws and a bracket to disconnect the battery. It is rated at 2.444 Wh, up from 2.313 Wh in the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The sensors now use more LEDs spread over a wider area, and both new watches share the S11 SiP.
The Apple Watch Series 12 was harder to open. The tolerances around its display are tighter than on the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and the force the pick needed made the team worry about damaging the screen. It is also easy to slice the fragile display cable on the way in. Two changes inside earned the extra point.
- A stretch-release adhesive tab lets the battery be pulled free instead of levered out with a spudger. The battery is 1.461 Wh, up from 1.403 Wh in the 46mm Apple Watch Series 11.
- A press connector under a bracket replaces the old ZIF connector and its tape on the display.
- Replacing the screen now also means removing and replacing the battery.
Apple Sells No Apple Watch Repair Parts, and iFixit Says That Breaks the Law in Ten States
Repair access has improved elsewhere in Apple’s lineup. The team points to screwed-in batteries on iPhones like the iPhone 18 Pro, and to Self Service Repair parts and tools for iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, displays, and some audio products. Apple Watch is not on that list. The only repair route is sending it back to Apple, through a Genius Bar, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or mail-in service.
iFixit believes that leaves Apple out of compliance with electronics Right to Repair laws in all ten states that have passed them. Those states are Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland, and Connecticut, and together they cover more than a third of Americans. Apple already has Watch parts, tools, and documentation for its own technicians. Oregon’s law, for example, requires the same materials to be available to independent shops and DIY repairers.
The argument gets personal for iFixit’s teardown lead, Shahram Mokhtari. He wears a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra to help track his arrhythmia, and its battery no longer holds a charge like it used to. He is reluctant to pry up an expensive screen to replace it. The heavier someone leans on a watch for health tracking, the more a dead battery matters.
Google’s Pixel Watch 5 earned 9 out of 10 on iFixit’s repairability scorecard, and it also offers ECG-based checks for signs of atrial fibrillation. Two Torx screws and a gasket sit between the owner and a display replacement. The battery comes out with a few more screws.
Our Take
The battery pull tab is a welcome change, and it shows Apple can still make small repair improvements on the Apple Watch Series 12. The glued display is still the first thing in the way on both watches, and Apple sells no parts or manuals for anyone who wants to try.
If you are choosing between the two, our comparison of the two watches covers the rest.
