Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 score 4/10 for repairability

Repair site iFixit continued to take apart the latest Apple devices this week, this time taking apart the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra 4‌ has no repairability changes. There are large amounts of glue between the case and the screen for waterproofing, and access to the battery must be through the screen. It’s easy to cut the screen cable when you try to open the device.

The Apple Watch Series 12 is also difficult to enter, but it has a tab for the adhesive that holds the battery in place, which iFixit says is a “modest” improvement in repairability. The 12 series also ditches the ZIF connector that made repairs more difficult, simplifying the process. There is no way to access the battery without removing the screen, and no way to swap the screen without removing the battery.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra 4‌ has a 2,444 Wh battery, compared to 2,313 Wh in the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The 46mm Series 12 has a 1,461 Wh battery, compared to 1,403 Wh in the Series 11.

Thanks to the pull tab and 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 achieved. The Ultra 4 also scored a 4 out of 10, the same rating iFixit has given to all previous Apple Watch Ultra models.

The site cites Google as proof that a wearable device can be repairable. Google’s Pixel Watch 5 earned a repairability score of 9 out of 10. The Pixel Watch 5’s screen and battery can be accessed by removing a few screws and a gasket, with no adhesive to deal with.

iFixit claims that Apple is “not compliant” with right-to-repair laws in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland, and Connecticut because it does not sell repair parts or service tools for Apple Watch, nor does it offer repair manuals.

iFixit says it is preparing evidence to help attorneys general in states with right-to-repair laws understand that Apple is not following the law.