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Product Independently confirmed2 publishers 3 min read Published

iFixit's teardown finds every new Apple Watch battery swap still starts at the glued screen

iFixit scored the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 at 4 out of 10 for repairability, up one point for the base model and flat for the Ultra. Repair budgets should treat every battery job as a screen job, and every Series 12 screen job as a battery job too.

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What happened

  • The Series 12 now holds its battery with stretch-release adhesive and a pull tab, which make the cell easier to remove once the screen is off.
  • The Ultra 4's four bottom-case screws give access only to the sensor assembly and the S11 chip, so the battery is still reached through the screen.
  • iFixit says Apple is out of compliance with Right to Repair laws in ten states because it sells no Apple Watch repair parts or tools and offers no manuals.

Why it matters

  • What it costs cost Whoever holds the repair budget pays for a new battery on every Series 12 screen repair, whether or not the old one was worn out.
  • Who's exposed exposure A routine Series 12 battery service can turn into a second, screen repair, because the display takes enough force to open that iFixit's own technician worried about damaging it.
  • Who has to decide decision Buyers still choosing hardware can weigh a five-point repairability gap to the Pixel Watch 5 before the first repair ticket exists.

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Confirmed2 publishers

Shahram Mokhtari opened the Apple Watch Ultra 4 with heat. He warmed the screen, then worked iFixit's new metal pick under it until the battery and Taptic Engine were exposed [6]. Every Ultra 4 battery job begins this way, because the battery can only be reached through the screen [4].

A worn battery arrives on a ticket as a battery job. The work behind the ticket is a display removal. The Ultra 4 has no repairability changes and gets the same 4/10 iFixit has given every Ultra [3][4]. Its display sits on heavy adhesive used for waterproofing, and the display cable is easy to slice while prying [4][5]. Past that step the job gets simpler, according to 9to5Mac. Mokhtari found pulling the battery and unclipping the display's press connector straightforward, as long as the opening spared the flex cables underneath [18].

The Series 12 improvements also only help once the screen is off. iFixit called the battery pull tab a "modest" improvement [9], and the new press connector is simpler than the ZIF connector and tape it replaces [10]. Together they earned a 4/10 [1], one point above the 3/10 of the last base model iFixit scored [2][21]. Prying off the glued display is still the biggest obstacle to repairs, 9to5Mac reported [14].

Replacing a Series 12 screen now means removing and replacing the battery too, "which, if you've come this far, why wouldn't you?" Mokhtari said [12]. For a fleet, the upside is a watch that comes back from a screen repair with a new battery [10].

Both batteries grew slightly. The Ultra 4 holds 2.444Wh, up from 2.313Wh in the Ultra 3, about 5.7% more [15][22]. The 46mm Series 12 holds 1.461Wh against 1.403Wh in the Series 11, about 4.1% more [16][23].

Doing this work in-house would mean finding parts Apple does not sell, according to iFixit [19]. Neither report includes what Apple charges to replace a watch battery or screen.

iFixit's counterexample is Google's Pixel Watch 5, which scored 9/10 [17]. Its display comes off after two Torx screws and a gasket, and its battery comes out with no adhesive to fight [17].

The forcing function I'd use for an Apple Watch repair budget has two rules. Count every battery service on either model as a display-opening job, with a contingency for a damaged screen or a cut display cable [5][13]. Count every Series 12 screen job as a display plus a battery [10]. If the budget cannot carry those lines at the fleet's expected failure rate, the choice moves upstream to which watch to buy, and the Pixel Watch 5 is the benchmark iFixit itself points to [17].

What to watch

  • Whether any state attorney general acts on the evidence iFixit says it is preparing about Apple's Right to Repair compliance.
  • Whether Apple starts selling Apple Watch repair parts, service tools or manuals, the gap at the center of iFixit's ten-state compliance claim.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence70
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap0
Incentives40
Confidence72
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    iFixit gave the Apple Watch Series 12 a repairability score of 4 out of 10, citing the battery pull tab and improved cable layout, an improvement over the last base model iFixit scored.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  2. [2]

    The Series 12's 4/10 score is a 1-point bump from the last base-model Apple Watch iFixit scored.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5Mac, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  3. [3]

    The Apple Watch Ultra 4 earned a 4 out of 10, the same score iFixit has given to all prior Apple Watch Ultra models.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  4. [4]

    The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has no repairability changes; there is copious glue between the casing and the display for waterproofing, and getting to the battery has to be done through the screen.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  5. [5]

    It is easy to slice through the Ultra 4's display cable when attempting to pry the device open.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  6. [6]

    After applying heat to the Ultra 4's screen, iFixit's Shahram Mokhtari used the company's new metal pick to pry the screen open, exposing the battery and the Taptic Engine.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5MacView cited source
  7. [7]

    The four screws on the bottom of the Ultra 4's case provide access only to the sensor assembly on the underside of the back cover and the S11 chip on the case itself.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5MacView cited source
  8. [8]

    Apple added stretch-release adhesive and a pull tab that make the Series 12's battery easier to remove.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5Mac, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  9. [9]

    iFixit says the Series 12's battery adhesive pull tab is a "modest" repairability improvement.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, quoting iFixitView cited source
  10. [10]

    Apple replaced the ZIF connector and tape used for the display on previous models with a simpler press connector on the Series 12; the tradeoff is that replacing the screen now also requires removing and replacing the battery.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5Mac, reporting Mokhtari's teardown notesView cited source
  11. [11]

    On the Series 12 there is no way to access the battery without removing the display, and no way to swap the display without removing the battery.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting iFixit's teardownView cited source
  12. [12]

    which, if you've come this far, why wouldn't you?

    Reported Supported Source: Shahram Mokhtari, iFixit, on Series 12 screen replacement also requiring battery replacement, as quoted by 9to5MacView cited source
  13. [13]

    Mokhtari noted the tolerances around the Series 12's display are tighter than on the Ultra 4, requiring enough force to make him concerned about potentially damaging the screen.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5MacView cited source
  14. [14]

    The Series 12 requires prying off the glued display to get inside, which remains the biggest obstacle to repairs.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5MacView cited source
  15. [15]

    The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has a 2.444Wh battery, up from 2.313Wh in the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumorsView cited source
  16. [16]

    The 46mm Series 12 has a 1.461Wh battery, up from 1.403Wh for the Series 11.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumorsView cited source
  17. [17]

    iFixit gave Google's Pixel Watch 5 a 9/10 repairability score; its display can be removed with two Torx screws and a gasket, and its battery can be removed without dealing with adhesive.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5Mac, reporting iFixitView cited source
  18. [18]

    Once the Ultra 4's screen is unglued, removing the battery and disconnecting the display's press connector seems straightforward, provided the initial step was done carefully enough to avoid slicing through flex cables underneath.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5Mac, reporting Mokhtari's teardownView cited source
  19. [19]

    iFixit claims Apple is "out of compliance" with Right to Repair laws in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland and Connecticut because it does not sell Apple Watch repair parts or service tools, nor offer repair manuals.

    Reported Supported Source: iFixit, as reported by MacRumorsView cited source
  20. [20]

    iFixit says it is preparing evidence to help attorneys general in states with Right to Repair laws understand that Apple is not complying with the law.

    Reported Supported Source: iFixit, as reported by MacRumorsView cited source
  21. [21]

    The last base-model Apple Watch iFixit scored received 3/10.

    Derived Supported
  22. [22]

    The Ultra 4 battery is 0.131Wh, about 5.7%, larger than the Ultra 3's.

    Derived Supported
  23. [23]

    The 46mm Series 12 battery is 0.058Wh, about 4.1%, larger than the 46mm Series 11's.

    Derived Supported
  24. [24]

    The Pixel Watch 5 scores five points higher than both new Apple Watches on iFixit's scale.

    Derived Supported

Sources

2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. 9to5mac.com

    1 article · October 6, 2026

    iFixit tears down Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, finds mixed repairability results
  2. macrumors.com

    1 article · October 7, 2026

    Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability

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