The Apple Watch Series 7 has been officially available in stores for a week. Now the new smartwatch has been subjected to a teardown.
The repair professionals at iFixit have finally taken a closer look at the Apple Watch Series 7 viewed. The teardown shows both the 41 and 45 mm versions of the watch and reveals some secrets we didn't know about. The 45 mm Apple Watch Series 7 has a 1.189 Wh (309 mAh) battery, which is 1.6 percent more than the 1.17 Wh battery in the 44 mm Series 6. The 41 mm version, on the other hand, has a 1.094 Wh battery, which is a 6.8 percent increase over the 1.024 Wh battery in the previous generation 40 mm model. So both batteries are slightly larger.
Dustproof: Official certification received
But according to iFixit, the increase is likely due to the new, brighter displays rather than the longer battery life. The internals of the Series 7 are similar to the Series 6, but there are small differences, such as the removal of a bracket where the diagnostic port used to be. Apple touts the Series 7 as being IP6X dust-resistant, which older models may have been, but Apple didn't previously perform the specific test for certification. There are some new protections, however, such as a mesh covering the speaker grill. The removal of the diagnostic port could also contribute to dust-resistant performance. Interestingly, iFixit teamed up with former Apple engineers who now work at Instrumental for the teardown.
Apple Watch Series 7: Display could be responsible for the delays
The report explains why the Apple Watch may have been delayed ahead of its October launch. According to iFixit, the Apple Watch Series 7 features a new display technology that was likely very difficult to manufacture on a large scale. The new Apple Watch appears to be equipped with a touch-sensitive OLED panel or an "on-cell touch" that is also used in the iPhone 13. In addition, Apple is only using one flexible cable for the display instead of two, which iFixit says is "not a trivial change." Accordingly, Ming-Chi Kuo may have been right when he said at the time that there were problems with the display manufacturing. Be that as it may. In terms of repairability, iFixit gives the Apple Watch Series 7 six out of ten possible points. (Image: Apple)
