iFixit Rates the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 at 4 out of 10 for Repairability

iFixit has torn down the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 and scored both 4 out of 10 for repairability. The Series 12 improves by one point on the last base model iFixit scored, while the Ultra 4 stays where every Ultra has been, according to the teardown published on October 6 (MacRumors, iPhone in Canada).

The scores

Watch	iFixit score	Battery	Change
Apple Watch Series 12	4/10	1.461 Wh (Series 11: 1.403 Wh)	Up from 3/10
Apple Watch Ultra 4	4/10	2.444 Wh (Ultra 3: 2.313 Wh)	Unchanged
Google Pixel Watch 5	9/10	-	Comparison

AppleInsider quotes iFixit as saying the Ultra 4 "didn't receive a single meaningful repairability upgrade." Both watches use the new S11 chip and improved health sensing, but their designs are essentially identical to their predecessors, which leaves little room for repair-friendly changes.

What improved on the Series 12

Apple made two modest changes. The battery is now held with stretch-release adhesive and a pull tab, which makes it easier to remove than the older method that relied on prying (9to5Mac).

The display connector has also changed: a simpler press connector under a bracket replaces the earlier ZIF connector and tape, which iFixit describes as finicky. There is a trade-off, because replacing the screen now requires removing the battery first. The display is still glued in, and getting inside either watch still means heating and prying it off. The Series 12's tighter tolerances demand enough force that the teardown team worried about damaging the screen (iDrop News).

Why the Ultra 4 stays put

Reaching the Ultra 4's larger battery still requires removing the screen first, which iFixit calls a significant drawback. Pentalobe screws on the back give access only to the sensors, so a worn battery means opening the front of a watch built to be water resistant and rugged. For a product aimed at hikers, divers and athletes, who are likely to wear down a battery or crack a display, that design makes repair difficult.

The right-to-repair argument

The more pointed section of iFixit's report concerns the law. iFixit criticises the lack of Apple Watch parts, dedicated tools and repair manuals in Apple's Self Service Repair programme, and argues that Apple is therefore not complying with electronics right-to-repair laws in 10 US states: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland and Connecticut. Its reasoning is that Apple offers its own repair and battery services for the Watch, so "we should be able to get those same materials." iFixit is collecting owner reports to present to state authorities.

Apple has not responded publicly, and the compliance question is iFixit's position, not a legal finding. iFixit cites Apple's battery replacement price as $99.

The Pixel Watch 5 comparison

Google's Pixel Watch 5 scored 9 out of 10, with a display that comes off with two screws and a gasket. iFixit points out that it offers similar health features, including ECG and atrial fibrillation detection, to argue that repairable design and health sensing are not mutually exclusive. The Series 12 starts at $399 for the 42mm model in the US.

The comparison is iFixit's framing, and the two watches differ in ways a repair score does not capture, including battery life, software and ecosystem.

What it means for buyers

A repairability score does not predict how often a watch breaks, only how hard or costly it is to fix. In practice, a worn battery or cracked screen on an Apple Watch is likely to mean a trip to Apple or an authorised provider rather than a cheap independent repair, and anyone planning to keep a watch for four or five years should budget for a battery service. The right-to-repair laws cited apply only in the US states named.

What to watch next

Watch for any Apple response to the 10-state claim, whether state authorities act on iFixit's reports, and whether Apple adds Watch parts and tools to Self Service Repair.

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