Apple Watch Series 6 teardown reveals bigger battery, Taptic Engine
Repair company iFixit has completed its teardown of the Apple Watch Series 6, revealing a refined design, a beefier battery, and a bigger Taptic Engine.

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
The Apple Watch Series 6 launched on Sept. 15 with a few key additions, including a blood oxygen sensor and new color options. As far as outward appearance, however, the device appears virtually the same as the previous Apple Watch Series 5.
On Monday, iFixit released its teardown of a 44mm GPS + LTE Apple Watch Series 6 variant. One of the first things that the site noted is that the new wearable opens to the side, rather than from the top. Opening up the device is also a bit easier because of the removal of Apple's Force Touch gasket. The pressure-sensing feature was removed in watchOS 7.

Credit: iFixit
The 44mm Apple Watch battery has seen a jump to a 1.17 Wh capacity, which represents a slight 3.5% increase over the Apple Watch Series 5. Apple also bumped up the battery size on the smaller 40mm variant to 1.024 Wh, an 8.5% increase.
"Slowly but surely, Apple Watches seem to be clawing back capacity after the big drop from Series 3 to Series 4," the repair site wrote.
The new, brighter display on the Apple Watch Series 6 features slight design differences and simpler cabling. Apple also increased the Taptic Engine's size on the new Apple Watch model. The company didn't mention that addition, or the larger battery, at its Sept. 15 keynote.

Credit: iFixit
As far as the brains of the new Apple Watch, iFixit notes that there are a few more conventional ICs installed on the package, as well as a Skyworks chip marked 239.7. None of the chips appear to be an exact match for Apple's U1, despite its inclusion on the model.
The slightly slimmer profile of the Apple Watch Series 6 is likely attributable to the modified case and removal of the Force Touch gasket. The frame also has a modified footprint with a narrower lip.
All in all, iFixit praised the removal of the "fussy" Force Touch gasket and the consolidation of fragile display cables to two. It also called the fact that Apple managed to fit a larger capacity battery and Taptic Engine into a slimmer frame "impressive."
"They just keep polishing this thing to a higher and higher gloss and it's almost sneaky how much of it they don't tell you about, keeping all the focus on the whiz-bang health features," iFixit wrote.
iFixit gave the Apple Watch Series 6 the same overall repairability score as the Apple Watch Series 5 -- a six out of 10.

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
The Apple Watch Series 6 launched on Sept. 15 with a few key additions, including a blood oxygen sensor and new color options. As far as outward appearance, however, the device appears virtually the same as the previous Apple Watch Series 5.
On Monday, iFixit released its teardown of a 44mm GPS + LTE Apple Watch Series 6 variant. One of the first things that the site noted is that the new wearable opens to the side, rather than from the top. Opening up the device is also a bit easier because of the removal of Apple's Force Touch gasket. The pressure-sensing feature was removed in watchOS 7.

Credit: iFixit
The 44mm Apple Watch battery has seen a jump to a 1.17 Wh capacity, which represents a slight 3.5% increase over the Apple Watch Series 5. Apple also bumped up the battery size on the smaller 40mm variant to 1.024 Wh, an 8.5% increase.
"Slowly but surely, Apple Watches seem to be clawing back capacity after the big drop from Series 3 to Series 4," the repair site wrote.
The new, brighter display on the Apple Watch Series 6 features slight design differences and simpler cabling. Apple also increased the Taptic Engine's size on the new Apple Watch model. The company didn't mention that addition, or the larger battery, at its Sept. 15 keynote.

Credit: iFixit
As far as the brains of the new Apple Watch, iFixit notes that there are a few more conventional ICs installed on the package, as well as a Skyworks chip marked 239.7. None of the chips appear to be an exact match for Apple's U1, despite its inclusion on the model.
The slightly slimmer profile of the Apple Watch Series 6 is likely attributable to the modified case and removal of the Force Touch gasket. The frame also has a modified footprint with a narrower lip.
All in all, iFixit praised the removal of the "fussy" Force Touch gasket and the consolidation of fragile display cables to two. It also called the fact that Apple managed to fit a larger capacity battery and Taptic Engine into a slimmer frame "impressive."
"They just keep polishing this thing to a higher and higher gloss and it's almost sneaky how much of it they don't tell you about, keeping all the focus on the whiz-bang health features," iFixit wrote.
iFixit gave the Apple Watch Series 6 the same overall repairability score as the Apple Watch Series 5 -- a six out of 10.
Comments
I was hoping for more than a 3.5% bigger battery. When Apple came out with the always on feature last year, I turned it on. At first, battery life seemed about the same. But after a month, I came to see it wasn’t, so I turned it off. Now, they say the screen will be 2.5 times brighter when it’s using that feature. I doubt I’ll use it, though I’ll likely try it. I know they said the efficiency of the SIP is much greater, but I don’t see that as making much difference. I’d rather see at least a 10% increase in battery, and keep the Taptic Engine the same size. It’s fine now.
When I ordered the series 6 Apple Watch, Apple didn’t give me an option to which provider. There previously were AT&T, Verizon, ... options .
My order doesn’t show which provider. I called Order Support to clarify.
When you receive it, you activate on the Apple devices - leave the carrier out of it unless you just like giving them money.
just out of curiosity, let’s keep updating. Ups has been shaky lately, as has been the USPS.
well, just checked e-mail, and at 9:22 I received an e-mail saying it’s being delivered. Strangely enough, I checked e-mail 10 minutes ago and that wasn’t there. It just popped up, weird. Of course, the follow it on the map didn’t work. I get a lot of packages, and only three times did it work, and only for a time, so I don’t know know why they bother.
But it's out for delivery now, with a noon - 4 estimate, so I should get it today after all.
one is that the finish dies look great. Apple’s computer generated images they use for these things generally, don’t do the mirror finishes justice, as they always look somewhat matte. This is glossy. If anything, because of the color, it looks even glossier than my Space black model I’m comparing it to here.
‘’straight on, they look the same, but under different angles and lighting, the graphite look like a gun metal glossy grey. It’s difficult to explain exactly, but it’s very nice.
it’s being setup now.
I read that the new charger puck was thicker to support the faster charging. But someone screwed that up, because it’s actually thinner. Too bad it still has the USB A connector, rather than the USB C connector. The annoying thing is that Apple supplies them, as usual, with the short cable, and I’ve bought the longer two meter models. I don’t know how different the chargectimes are, but I hate to spend $39 again on a new, longer cable. But that’s for the living room, for the bedroom I have a wireless model that the watch and phone goes on. The phone is vertical, and the watch is on a column. It will charge an AirPod case too, but I don’t have one.
now I’m getting a weird situation with Verizon about my address. The number is 110-55, but it has it as 11055. But it can’t find that address, and asked if I want to use it as typed. I say yes, and there’s a problem. If I go back and edit the dash in, it tells me to use a valid address. So I can’t set up cellular right now. Otherwise restore from backup is working fine.
and for those who insist that the sensors are exactly the same—they look completely different.