The Apple Watch Ultra is built to survive outdoor adventures, but you’ll want to fix it yourself if you fall, forget it. iFixit has completed a video teardown indicating that the Ultra is not significantly more repairable than its mainstream counterparts. Although there are external screws on the back, prying open the back will break a waterproof gasket. And don’t even think about getting through the front – it’s hard to avoid breaking the screen, at least without special tools.
It is also difficult to access the battery and other components. The teardown also illustrates how much larger the speaker array on the Apple Watch Ultra is compared to the Series 8. Even if it’s unlikely you’ll ever use the siren feature these speakers are intended for, it should help with call quality and other audio – controlled apps.
So this isn’t the advances in self-dissolving kindness you saw in the base iPhone 14. You should take this to a professional repair shop if you land badly during a walk. Still, iFixit is optimistic that the Watch Ultra represents a path to more recoverable Apple wrist wear. While it’s not clear whether future smartwatches will make that leap, it won’t be shocking given the mounting political pressure on the tech industry to make easier-to-maintain devices.
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