iFixit gives Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 a 4/10 for repairability

iFixit has torn down the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, and both land at 4 out of 10 on its repairability scale. The Series 12 gains a point over the last base model iFixit scored, thanks to a couple of small internal changes. The Ultra 4 is unchanged from its predecessors, and iFixit used the teardown to argue that Apple is out of step with Right to Repair laws in ten US states by keeping Watch parts, tools, and manuals to itself.

Series 12: a pull tab and a simpler display cable

As on earlier models, the only way in is through the screen. iFixit found the Series 12 even tighter to open than the Ultra, and the force needed on the opening pick made it worry about the display.

Inside, the main change is a stretch-release adhesive tab under the battery. Previous models had to be levered out with a spudger, while the Series 12 battery comes free when you pull the tab. Apple also replaced the fiddly ZIF connector and tape on the display cable with a press connector under a bracket. The tradeoff is that replacing the screen now means removing and refitting the battery as well, and there is still no way to reach the battery without taking the display off first.

The 46mm Series 12 battery is rated at 1.461Wh, up from 1.403Wh in the 46mm Series 11.

Ultra 4: the same score for a fourth generation

The Ultra 4's sensor array has a new layout with more LEDs over a wider area, part of the Health Sensing System Apple introduced this year. The four pentalobe screws on the back only open the sensor assembly, and removing them compromises water resistance, so the real route in is again through the glued-down display. iFixit and MacRumors both note how easy it is to cut the display cable while prying.

The battery is slightly bigger at 2.444Wh, compared with 2.313Wh in the Ultra 3. Its 4 out of 10 matches the score iFixit gave the previous three Ultra models.

Both watches use the new S11 system in package, which iFixit says has a CPU architecture based on the A20 Pro.

The Right to Repair argument

iFixit's bigger point is about access rather than design. Apple repairs watches and replaces batteries itself, but it doesn't sell Watch parts or dedicated tools through Self Service Repair, and it doesn't publish Watch repair manuals. iFixit argues that this conflicts with state electronics Right to Repair laws, which generally require manufacturers that offer their own repairs to make the same parts, tools, and documentation available to independent shops and owners.

• States named: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland, and Connecticut, according to MacRumors.
• Apple's position: iFixit says Apple told Minnesota's attorney general that it complies with that state's law through Self Service Repair.
• The medical device question: iFixit points out that Apple's own safety guidance says the Watch is not a medical device, which undercuts the idea that its health features exempt it.
• Next step: iFixit says it is gathering evidence for state attorneys general and asks owners in those states to request parts from Apple and report any refusal.

iFixit also compares the Watch with Google's Pixel Watch 5, which offers ECG-based heart rhythm checks and scored 9 out of 10, with just two Torx screws and a gasket between you and the display. Neither iFixit nor MacRumors cited a response from Apple.

The teardown lands the same week some owners started reporting skin irritation under the new sensors, and after Apple shipped watchOS 27.0.1 to fix unexpected restarts.

Sources

• iFixit, "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Teardown Reveals a Gap in Right to Repair Coverage," October 7, 2026
• MacRumors, "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability," October 7, 2026
• Apple Newsroom, "Apple unveils Apple Watch Ultra 4," September 9, 2026