Apple Watch Ultra 2 Teardown Shows Barely Any Internal Changes Compared To Previous Model, Except For A 4 Percent Bigger Battery

The teardown team at iFixit got its hands on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 to see what is similar and different from their direct predecessors. As one would expect, not a whole lot has changed in the disassembly process, but thankfully, the company added a 4 percent bigger battery this year.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 now has a 564mAh battery, but the marketing material says it lasts just as long as the previous version

The first thing that iFixit notices is that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 lacks the rumored microLED screen, but the display is still crisp regardless. Starting with the disassembly, there are four screws at the back, which have secured the rear panel in place. Using a clamping tool, the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s adhesive is softened using a heat gun that holds its 1.92-inch display in place. However, before this, the battery needs to come out, with iFixit noticing that the capacity is now 564mAh, marking a 4 percent increase over the original Apple Watch Ultra’s 542mAh capacity.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also features the company’s newest S9 SiP, but for some reason, the company claims that last year’s model has the same 36-hour runtime as the latest one. Moving on, the screen is made out of sapphire, making it extremely resilient to scratches. Even when a level 8 pick from Mohs’ Hardness Test Kit is used, the marks can only be viewed under intense magnification. The Taptic Engine carries the same size and weight as last year, and Apple should consider scaling that down to make room for other components and sensors.

The 41mm version of the Apple Watch Series 9 was also torn down by iFixit, showing a smaller Taptic Engine and an even smaller 282mAh. In case you are wondering, the capacity remains unchanged from the 41mm Apple Watch Series 8. The only change that iFixit noticed was a ‘spongy foam’ instead of the individual pieces found on previous models. Overall, apart from the bigger battery on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, nothing noteworthy was found from iFixit’s latest teardowns. Hopefully, the team might find something unique when they get their iPhone 15 models shipped to their address.

Written by Omar Sohail