Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 in iFixit Teardown [Video]

The Apple Watch Series 12 has a few repair-friendly changes inside, but it and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 both earned 4 out of 10 for repairability in iFixit's latest teardown. The Series 12 gains a point over the last base-model Apple Watch the company scored, while the Ultra's rating is unchanged.

Getting inside either watch still means heating and prying off a glued display. The Series 12 has even tighter tolerances than the Ultra, requiring enough force that the teardown team worried about damaging the screen.

Once inside the Series 12, a stretch-release adhesive tab lets the battery come free without levering it out with a pry tool. The battery is rated at 1.461 Wh, up from 1.403 Wh in the 46mm Series 11.

The display connection is simpler too. A press connector under a bracket replaces the previous zero-insertion-force connector and its tape, though there is a tradeoff: replacing the screen now also requires removing and replacing the battery.

The Ultra 4 offers no comparable repairability improvement. Its four rear screws only provide access to the sensor assembly, not a route to the battery, and removing them compromises the waterproofing. Battery access still requires opening the screen, then removing four screws and a bracket before disconnecting it.

There are hardware changes beneath that familiar construction. The Ultra's battery grows to 2.444 Wh from 2.313 Wh in the Ultra 3, and its revised sensor layout has more LEDs with a wider surface area. Both new watches use the S11 system-in-package, with a CPU architecture based on the A20 Pro.

For comparison, the same teardown team gave Google's Pixel Watch 5 a 9 out of 10. Its display is secured by two Torx screws and a gasket, and the battery can be removed after undoing a few more screws.

iFixit also criticizes the lack of Apple Watch parts, dedicated tools, and repair manuals through Apple's Self Service Repair program. The company believes that lack of access puts Apple out of compliance with electronics right-to-repair laws in ten U.S. states, and is gathering owner reports to present to state authorities.

For Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon has the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 12 down to $349.99 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 down to $699.99. The Ultra offer is for the black titanium model with a Burgundy Trail Loop in M/L. Prices may change or sell out.