iFixit: Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Hard to Repair

In a teardown posted on 7 October 2026, iFixit found that the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 remain difficult to service, raising fresh questions about repairability and compliance with Right to Repair rules.

The Series 12 scored 4 out of 10 on iFixit's repairability scale, one point higher than the Series 11. iFixit credits the small improvement to a stretch-release adhesive used on the battery, which makes the cell easier to pull out, and to a new, simplified display connector. The watch still must be opened through the display, even when charging the battery, which increases the risk of cracking the panel. The simplified connector also has a downside: replacing the panel requires removing the battery together with the display.

The Watch Ultra 4 showed little to no progress in iFixit's assessment. Accessing the Ultra 4 battery still requires heating and removing a glued display, and the four screws on the caseback only expose sensors, not the battery or the watch's main components. That approach risks compromising the device's waterproofing during repair.

iFixit also flagged potential legal implications. The organization noted that Apple does not offer the same tools, spare parts and repair manuals for Apple Watch models as it does for iPhone, iPad and Mac, which could leave consumers dependent on Apple's authorized service centers and potentially run afoul of Right to Repair laws in US states such as California, New York and Oregon.

Batteries are a particular concern because they tend to be replaced sooner than other components, and replacing them on these models requires removing the display first, which puts the panel at risk.