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Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for RepairabilityWednesday October 7, 2026 2:44 pm PDT by Juli CloverRepair site iFixit this week continued taking apart the latest Apple devices, this time tearing down the Apple Watch

vinkoweb · Oct 28, 2026 · 2 views
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability
Table of Contents
  1. 1. Popular Stories
  2. 2. Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 Owners Report Skin Irritation
  3. 3. MacRumors Giveaway: Win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a Nylon Band From Southern Straps
  4. 4. Apple's $634 Million Apple Watch Patent Bill Just Got Even Bigger
  5. 5. Next Article

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability

by Juli Clover

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


The ‌Apple Watch Ultra 4‌ has no repairability changes. There are copious amounts of glue between the casing and the display for waterproofing, and getting to the battery has to be done through the screen. It's easy to slice through the display cable when attempting to pry the device open.

The Apple Watch Series 12 is also difficult to get into, but it has a pull tab for the adhesive holding the battery in place, which iFixit says is a "modest" repairability improvement. The Series 12 also drops the ZIF connector that made repairs more difficult, which makes for a simpler process. There is no way to access the battery without removing the display, and no way to swap the display without removing the battery.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra 4‌ has a 2.444Wh battery, up from 2.313Wh in the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The 46mm Series 12 has a 1.461Wh battery, up from 1.403Wh for the Series 11.

With the pull tab and the 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 scored. The Ultra 4 also earned a 4 out of 10, which is the same score iFixit has given to all prior Apple Watch Ultra models.

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

iFixit claims Apple is "out of compliance" with the Right to Repair laws in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Maryland, and Connecticut because it does not sell Apple Watch repair parts or service tools, 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 complying with the law.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4
Related Forum: Apple Watch
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Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 Owners Report Skin Irritation

Wednesday October 7, 2026 12:02 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Some Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 owners have experienced unexpected skin irritation with the new models, according to reports on the MacRumors forums and Reddit. Affected users complain of a burning sensation and redness under the sensor area. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 measure heart rate every five seconds, and some people have wondered if that's the cause of the skin...
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MacRumors Giveaway: Win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a Nylon Band From Southern Straps

Friday October 9, 2026 10:20 am PDT by Juli Clover
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Southern Straps to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Apple Watch Series 12 and a nylon band from Southern Straps to go along with it. Southern Straps is a California-based company that has been making high-quality bands for the Apple Watch since the device first launched in 2015, and the company's selection of bands offer a an...
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Apple's $634 Million Apple Watch Patent Bill Just Got Even Bigger

Tuesday October 6, 2026 6:09 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's $634 million patent loss to medical technology company Masimo has just gotten even bigger, after a federal judge ordered Apple to pay an additional $184 million in interest on what it owes (via Bloomberg Law). The ruling takes Apple's bill to around $818 million, but that doesn't include any post-judgment interest continuing to accrue until the judgment is paid. Judge James Selna ...
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