The new 2024 iPhone models show that it’s possible for Apple to make its ultra-slim devices easier to repair: Both the 16 and 16 Plus as well as the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have been made more accessible, and so can you. Can remove the battery by applying voltage in the standard model. So it would actually be logical that the Apple Watch Series 10 would bring improvements for repairmen as well? Unfortunately, that is not the case. This shows a fresh tear down From repair experts iFixIt. Apple only achieved a “repair” score of 3 out of a possible 10, while the new iPhones reached a score of 7 out of 10.
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glue, so much glue
The main problem remains the opening of the device – which contains a huge number of screws and clamps, which require extreme sensitivity due to their size. To open the case, the Apple Watch Series 10 must first be warmed up. You then open it using a spudger and separate the display from the case. This will probably be difficult for any gross motor person due to low endurance. Then there’s a lot of screwing and tweezers required to reach critical parts like the battery, SoC or (at the bottom) the rear sensor unit.
The battery is completely glued in, so there is neither a pull tab to take it out nor the possibility of releasing it by applying voltage. According to iFixIt, the sensor unit should be essentially irreparable if it is broken and there is a risk of complete loss. In most cases, Apple is unlikely to repair the Series 10 and instead replace it with a replacement device if the customer has a defect. The Series 10 comes with a 327 mAh battery that is housed in a “soft pouch”. The brighter OLED display, which should also be able to be read from the side, was difficult to distinguish from its predecessor when viewed under a microscope.
assembly will be difficult
Besides the fact that it is still very difficult to open the Apple Watch, even ten years after the first model, screwing it together after repair remains the main problem: only specialists can put the parts back together correctly and At the top, they can be glued together. , And yet, due to tighter tolerances, there will probably no longer be any waterproofing.
It remains to be seen whether Apple – which is under pressure from the EU – will improve here – at least replacing batteries and OLED should be part of the standard repair capability. Until then, the Apple Watch unfortunately remains a (according to the manufacturer, climate-neutral) product without “rights to repair”.
(B.Sc.)
