Skip to main content

Apple Watch teardown reveals replacing parts is ‘nearly impossible’

apple watch is not built to last ifixit
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you buy an Apple Watch this year, it may not be long before you need a new one. This past week, iFixit published its first look at the Apple Watch. The device received a 5/10 on its repairability scale, citing the near impossibility of removing components from inside the smartwatch. The price of the watch Apple wants it compared against other luxury watches with a price ranging from $349 to $17,000. It’s longevity will not approach any of its non-smart competitors, however, according to iFixit.

iFixit on the Apple Watch: “Once inside, coaxing the battery out is a cinch, but the overall device construction limits further repair options … We hoped to confirm rumors of upgradable internals — but had no such luck. The S1 SiP [internal System in Package] is encased in resin, and is further held in place by a mess of glue and soldered ribbon connectors. In short, basic component replacements look nearly impossible.”

 Watch Teardown Review!

Making electronics that become obsolete after a few short years is nothing new to Apple, and being the most valuable company in the world means you can basically do whatever you want. New owners of the Apple Watch will find themselves in need of replacement within a few short years.

Recommended Videos

If you’re dumb enough to spend somewhere in the middle, say $10,000, you’ll pay $3,333 a year, or more, before you need a new one. The pricing and the product simply do not line up when you compare your watch options with a $10,000 budget.

For many of you, this is not news. Like PCs and now smartphones, smartwatches will likely need replacing every 2-3 years, and options for self repair continue to dwindle as components shrink and designs get more elaborate.

Andre Revilla
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andre Revilla is an entrepreneur and writer from Austin, TX that has been working in and covering the consumer tech space for…
Apple quietly nixed this Apple Intelligence feature from iOS 18.2
Image Playground on iPad.

One of the most highly anticipated features of Apple Intelligence, Image Playground, has finally launched in the iOS 18.2 developer and public betas. This artificial intelligence tool, announced in June, enables users to create cartoon-like images from text descriptions. Unfortunately, at least in the beta version, one of Image Playground's announced features is missing.

As first noted on X (formerly Twitter) by @nicolas09f9 (via MacRumors), Image Playground was once expected to feature three design styles: Animation, Illustration, and Sketch. For whatever reason, the latter isn't a choice in the beta.

Read more
The Apple Watch Series 10 has ruined smartwatches for me
A person wearing the aluminum Apple Watch Series 10.

That’s it, the Apple Watch Series 10 has ruined other smartwatches for me. This week I will swap to another smartwatch I have to review, but I don’t want to take the Apple Watch off. It's wonderful.

I don’t want to use the word perfect because, of course, it’s not, but it’s very, very close to it. Prepare for some gushing over the next few hundred words, as I’m going to explain why if you’re looking for a smartwatch, the search can stop with the Apple Watch Series 10.
Why don’t I want to take it off?

Read more
I already damaged my Apple Watch Series 10
i already damaged my apple watch series 10 dt 1

I don’t think I’m clumsy, but I swing my arms a lot and still grimace every time a smartwatch on my wrist hits an immovable object. Yet, for all this movement, I’ve never managed to deeply scratch or lightly crack an Apple Watch display … until now.

The Apple Watch Series 10 doesn’t have many compromises over the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and I even made the switch permanently before this happened. It’s big, thin, and beautiful, but the Apple Watch Series 10 also uses a less durable protective shield for its display.

Read more