Apple Watch Series 4 Teardown: 20% Less Battery Capacity, Hidden Barometric Sensor, and Streamlined Internals [Updated]

[baryon]

Wow! Apple using screws instead of glue? Have they gone... insane? Apple, just think of all the money you could make on people buying new Apple Watches instead of just replacing the battery!

Sarcasm aside, this proves that something can be small and compact and still use screws. Now if only Apple could figure out a way to incorporate this strange new technology into their more expensive products, such as the MacBook Pro... it could mean that having to buy a whole new computer when your battery inexplicably fails would be a thing of the past!

No more would landfills need to be filled with expensive trash! No more would even rich people go bankrupt when literally any part of their computer would fail! And imagine a world, where when you buy a new computer, you could pass on your old computer to a family member who doesn't need the newest CPU, and they'd still get many decent years of use out of it, rather than having to buy a brand new one!

Call me crazy, but that's how I see the future.

 

[weckart]

I think Apple spends enough on R&D that they know how to design their product(s).

Throwing money at something doesn't necessarily ensure an optimal outcome.

Apple and iFixit are approaching this from opposite angles: iFixit from the point of view of ease of repair and Apple bent on eradicating that.

 

[femike]

I'm amazed as others are. Loads of tech in that small package, all designed, engineered and manufactured very nice and cleanly.

 

[groovyd]

If the watch is waterproof and dustproof how does air pressure get to the barometer?

a baffle

 

[Moonjumper]

Nice to see the improvements in repairability from using less glue. The poor repairability has been at odds with Apple's stated environmental intentions. Hopefully the improvements will extend across the entire Apple product range.

 

[RogerWilco]

It’s always awesome to be reminded of the fact that these are tiny computers strapped to your wrist. Each one is probably more powerful than the computers used to render dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Yeah, our magic is even more magic today...

Back in the real world, I'm glad to see Jony and his gang ditching the glue. The use of custom miniature parts would explain the rather large price increase for the S4.

 

[konqerror]

If the watch is waterproof and dustproof how does air pressure get to the barometer?

They use a semipermeable membrane, made of PTFE (Teflon) which is formed into many tiny fibers, like gauze. The holes between the fibers are so small that only air molecules can flow through. Water molecules interact with the PTFE and bead up so that they can't pass.

Very similar to Gore-Tex so it's not surprising that the same company makes these vents: https://www.gore.com/products/gore-vents-for-cell-phones

 

[davidf18]

1. How much RAM does the watch have?
2. Is the dual 64-bit CPU fabbed on the 7 nm process that is used by the A12 processor in the Xs(Max)?

 

[barjam]

Of course there is waterproof. Anything made out of materials that contact with water doesn't affect is waterproof. The spoon I am currently holding is waterproof. Anything completely encased in material that isn't affected by water is waterproof. Encase something in (originally molten) glas and it is waterproof. With the right glue, you can waterproof a lot of things.

One can distinguish between seals that can be opened and closed and something that is sealed by filling a gap with a material that is liquid originally and thus can enter all nooks and crannies. In particular with water, due to its surface tension, if a capillary connecting the inside with the outside becomes small enough, it is hermetically sealed (of the course the surface tension translates into capillary pressure which then has to be compared to the ambient pressure, but if we limit ourselves with ambient pressures a human can survive in that is a very attainable limit).

Obviously we are talking about devices here and not spoons, rocks and stuff stuff like that. But if we are going to be absurd that spoon you mention isn't water proof (eventually stainless will corrode, it is just resistant) and the glass encased thing you made up would shatter at depth if there were any voids whatsoever.

Currently there is no industry standard in order for a device to classify as waterproof and thus "waterproof" can not be claimed as a product feature. Even things like dive watches/computers/etc are merely water resistant.

 

[thadoggfather]

Nice!

Wasn’t expecting that

Does this mean series 4 battery replacement service may
Mean same device new battery rather than a whole unit swap?

 

[manu chao]

Obviously we are talking about devices here and not spoons, rocks and stuff stuff like that. But if we are going to be absurd that spoon you mention isn't water proof (eventually stainless will corrode, it is just resistant) and the glass encased thing you made up would shatter at depth if there were any voids whatsoever.

Currently there is no industry standard in order for a device to classify as waterproof and thus "waterproof" can not be claimed as a product feature. Even things like dive watches/computers/etc are merely water resistant.

That might be correct legally, but in common usage waterproof is a thing.

 

[MauiPa]

Of course there is waterproof. Anything made out of materials that contact with water doesn't affect is waterproof. The spoon I am currently holding is waterproof. Anything completely encased in material that isn't affected by water is waterproof. Encase something in (originally molten) glas and it is waterproof. With the right glue, you can waterproof a lot of things.

One can distinguish between seals that can be opened and closed and something that is sealed by filling a gap with a material that is liquid originally and thus can enter all nooks and crannies. In particular with water, due to its surface tension, if a capillary connecting the inside with the outside becomes small enough, it is hermetically sealed (of the course the surface tension translates into capillary pressure which then has to be compared to the ambient pressure, but if we limit ourselves with ambient pressures a human can survive in that is a very attainable limit).

"The International Organization for Standardization issued a standard for water-resistant watches which also prohibits the term waterproof to be used with watches, which many countries have adopted. ... ISO 2281 water resistance testing of a watch consists of: Resistance when immersed in water at a depth of 10 cm." While you may be correct, that a spoon is water-proof (although it will degrade in water over time), a spoon is not the relevant standard here.
[doublepost=1537803911][/doublepost]

Wow! Apple using screws instead of glue? Have they gone... insane? Apple, just think of all the money you could make on people buying new Apple Watches instead of just replacing the battery!

Sarcasm aside, this proves that something can be small and compact and still use screws. Now if only Apple could figure out a way to incorporate this strange new technology into their more expensive products, such as the MacBook Pro... it could mean that having to buy a whole new computer when your battery inexplicably fails would be a thing of the past!

No more would landfills need to be filled with expensive trash! No more would even rich people go bankrupt when literally any part of their computer would fail! And imagine a world, where when you buy a new computer, you could pass on your old computer to a family member who doesn't need the newest CPU, and they'd still get many decent years of use out of it, rather than having to buy a brand new one!

Call me crazy, but that's how I see the future.

Yah, as most MacBook pros go for like 10-years, maybe we could extend to 50!

 

[macduke]

That's pretty incredible that the repairability score actually went up. Perhaps a sign that Apple is maturing even more in terms of hardware engineering?

The Series 4 is a hell of a little computer. My 44mm SS is still delayed a couple more weeks, but my wife's 40mm AL arrived on Friday and she let me play with it some and it continually blew my Series 0 away at every single task by massive margins. I kept switching around like crazy between apps and it wasn't missing a beat. That new face has so many complications that I don't even know if I will end up using all of them. Maybe I need to go look for some third party apps to provide some more useful bits in there because otherwise it's a lot of shortcuts to other apps. My wife is really loving it so far and likes how it keeps her from getting sucked into her iPhone so much.

 

[MauiPa]

Just remove the Taptic engine and you got more batetery

Why? I still have my series 3 with LTE. I have had a watch for long enough I am over the "hey look this is cool" phase, so I use my watch in what I would call a typical use case. I get 4 days if all I use is telling time, turn by turn directions, HomePod control and occasional reminders/notifications, and 24-hour heart rate monitoring, and turned up brightness. I use about 50% battery on a four-hour hike with the workout app on and full heart rate monitoring. I cannot see how this is inconvenient in any way that more battery would significantly improve my life in anyway. Of course more battery is always good, but until a breakthrough in battery design, it comes with trade-offs on usage.
[doublepost=1537804431][/doublepost]

It's funny how iFixit knows better how to design a better watch than Apple.

Those who can do, those who cannot complain
[doublepost=1537804574][/doublepost]

umm, the same way KardioMobile and any 1-lead ECG works? Damn alivecor explains their tech less and less these days

 

[manu chao]

"The International Organization for Standardization issued a standard for water-resistant watches which also prohibits the term waterproof to be used with watches, which many countries have adopted. ... ISO 2281 water resistance testing of a watch consists of: Resistance when immersed in water at a depth of 10 cm." While you may be correct, that a spoon is water-proof (although it will degrade in water over time), a spoon is not the relevant standard here.

I guess the problem is that I understood the statement "There is no such thing as waterproof, just water resistant." to mean to apply to any kind of product ('there is no such thing' sounds like a pretty general statement). When I wear a plastic (safety) helmet, that helmet is waterproof to me (in both senses that I won't be able to damage it by any kind of realistic contact with water, eg, I won't store it in boiling water, and that no water will pass through it to hit my head). A straw hat in contrast wouldn't be waterproof in either of those two senses.

 

[baryon]

Yah, as most MacBook pros go for like 10-years, maybe we could extend to 50!

If you're lucky they'll go for 4-5 years max but really they would last 10 years if things that fail commonly could be replaced at a price that isn't unreasonable for an older machine. Who is going to pay 400 USD for a battery replacement on a machine that could be sold for 800 USD? After some time it stops making sense, so people stop repairing them and just throw them out. If a battery replacement could be done at home (order battery from Apple at a reasonable price, install yourself at home) then these ultra-expensive computers could last twice or tree times as long, and could be used by people who don't need the newest hardware.

 

[Mac 128]

Why? I still have my series 3 with LTE. I have had a watch for long enough I am over the "hey look this is cool" phase, so I use my watch in what I would call a typical use case. I get 4 days if all I use is telling time, turn by turn directions, HomePod control and occasional reminders/notifications, and 24-hour heart rate monitoring, and turned up brightness. I use about 50% battery on a four-hour hike with the workout app on and full heart rate monitoring. I cannot see how this is inconvenient in any way that more battery would significantly improve my life in anyway. Of course more battery is always good, but until a breakthrough in battery design, it comes with trade-offs on usage.

Then no real reason to make the case sizes larger.

 

[tridley68]

Looks like Apple may be leaning toward disposable watches when the battery dies you just scrap the watch and get a new one or maybe like the phones they will start to offer a Next every year plan so in 12-24 months you can trade it in on a new one thus maintaining a good battery.

 

[bchery21]

Once Apple can decrease the size of the Taptic Engine the battery size will increase!

 

[CarlJ]

A thinner and longer Taptic Engine, but iFixit says it still takes up a lot of space that could have gone to a larger battery.

And iFixit is being stupid on this point - Apple wasn't going for the smallest possible Taptic Engine, nor the largest, they were designing to make one that gives the user experience they want. Gruber said the result is qualitatively better, compared to prior versions. Yes, Apple could make it smaller, or take it out entirely, to make more room for the battery. It wouldn't have been as good an experience. They could also make more room for battery by leaving out the speaker and microphone, the ECG hardware, barometer, digital crown, all sorts of things, and still be able to display a watch face on a screen on your wrist. But Apple wanted to make a device that acted precisely the way they intended, not just satisfy the bullet point of "watch face on a screen". iFixit does a nice job of showing the insides of these devices, but their commentary is sometimes annoyingly slanted.

If Apple could make the watch do all the same things it does now, with the same experience (not just ticking boxes on a checklist) and in the same size casing, and give it 2 or 3 or 4 days of battery life, that would be awesome. But if a change like downgrading the Taptic Engine got them only a few more hours of battery life, then what's the point? It's still going on the charger every night.

 

[cycomiko]

Did they find the extra 200$ of cost?

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

I'm amazed as others are. Loads of tech in that small package, all designed, engineered and manufactured very nice and cleanly.

Yeah, all the Jony Ive-Haters need to realize that he also designs stuff like this!

 

[Tech198]

"All in all, the Series 4 received a "solid" 6/10 on iFixit's repairability scale, with 10 being the best possible score. That's the same repairability score iFixit gave the iPhone XS and XS Max in its teardown of those devices."

Am i loosing my marbles, so is Apple actually listening to users wanting phones to be user-repairable more ?

Maybe that was only the Mac's..

At least that could never do that do the watch ... Right ?? Nah.. who would wanna buy an unreapirable watch.

 

[DeepIn2U]

If the watch is waterproof and dustproof how does air pressure get to the barometer?

Through the proposed exposed hole that houses the sensor.
[doublepost=1537832359][/doublepost]

Yeah, all the Jony Ive-Haters need to realize that he also designs stuff like this!

I’ve designed Apple Watch he didn’t engineer the internals. It’s team work.

 

[djcerla]

If you're lucky they'll go for 4-5 years max but really they would last 10 years if things that fail commonly could be replaced at a price that isn't unreasonable for an older machine. Who is going to pay 400 USD for a battery replacement on a machine that could be sold for 800 USD? After some time it stops making sense, so people stop repairing them and just throw them out. If a battery replacement could be done at home (order battery from Apple at a reasonable price, install yourself at home) then these ultra-expensive computers could last twice or tree times as long, and could be used by people who don't need the newest hardware.

My 2011 MBP disagrees, and my 2005 iBook disagrees even more.

Neither needed repairs, and I used the former laptop in clubs and festivals for 5 years with Serato.