The Apple Watch Series 6 may look similar to its predecessor on the outside, but the new smartwatch contains some notable changes on the inside.
The repair experts at iFixit have now disassembled the Apple Watch Series 6 and presented it from the inside. The report highlights the removal of Force Touch, as well as a slightly larger battery, a thinner design, and more. Under the first beta version of watchOS 7, Apple dropped support for the pressure-sensitive Force Touch feature, practically confirming that the hardware for this feature will be removed with the Apple Watch Series 6. Today's teardown indicates that the removal of the Force Touch hardware actually makes opening the case easier:
Apple Watch Series 6: Battery larger than expected
The process is also slightly simplified as there is no Force Touch gasket - a feature that has been absent since watchOS 7. We're happy to see a fragile, damage-prone part retired but sad to see the final nail in the coffin for Apple's nifty pressure-sensitive display technology. We're torn but we're going to call this a win.
An interesting feature is the battery. This is larger than the previous model - but the battery life is said to be the same at 18 hours. The 44mm device has a 1.17 Wh battery and is therefore 3.5 percent larger than its predecessor. According to iFixit, the 40mm version of the Apple Watch Series 6 has an 8.5 percent larger battery. The reason why the battery life has remained the same could be the new S6 processor, according to the repair experts. But Apple also seems to have changed other components. iFixit lists the following new features:
- The Taptic Engine in the Series 6 is larger than in the Series 5
- The Series 6 is slightly thinner at 10.4 mm (compared to 10.74 mm for the Series 5)
When it came to the blood oxygen sensor, the repair experts had to surrender. The report states:
Fused display on top, fused sensor array on bottom. We'll find nothing but broken glass when we take this apart.
If you want to read the full report, you can find the teardown hereThe Apple Watch Series 6 is now available from Apple starting at 418.15 euros available. (Image: Apple)