Photo: iFixit
Apple made huge strides towards improving repairability with the iPhone 16. Sadly, despite getting a big internal redesign, the Apple Watch Series 10 is not as repair-friendly as the new iPhones.
A teardown from iFixit details the wearable’s innards and all the changes Apple made to slim down its design.
Apple’s latest smartwatch packs big internal changes
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the company’s slimmest and lightest smartwatch yet. Apple claims its newest wearable is 10% thinner and lighter despite retaining the same functionality as before. More importantly, it packs an even better display, which is also brighter than before.
Internally, the size reduction means even tighter tolerances for Apple to pack everything. iFixit teardown notes there’s only a gap of 0.176mm between the Apple Watch’s cover glass and metal casing. This also helps improve the watch’s water resistance to 50ATM.
Unlike the iPhone 16 series, getting inside the Apple Watch Series 10 is not easy. It requires using a lot of heat and prying around the edges. Removing the display reveals the big 1.266Wh battery and the big Taptic Engine, which take up almost all the internal space.
Apple is not using its new electrically conductive glue, as seen on the iPhone 16 Pro, to hold the Apple Watch Series 10’s battery in place. Instead, a generous amount of adhesive holds it in place, which thankfully allows for easy removal when needed.
Apple Watch Series 10 is not easy to repair
Interestingly, Apple claims the Apple Watch Series 10’s display will appear 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. However, the iFixit team’s microscopic look at the display revealed almost no changes compared to the Series 9’s display.
Given the tight tolerances and limited internal space, it is not surprising that the Apple Watch Series 10 does not score high in iFixit’s repairability score. The team gave the watch a repairability score of 3 out of 10, highlighting how difficult it is to access the watch’s innards and carry out repairs.