Gadgetory

the Apple watch may be beautiful on the outside but how about on the inside let's find out I'm Bill Detweiler and this is cracking open the Apple watch comes in three different models two different sizes and six different finishes there are more than a dozen different bands and prices range from three hundred and forty-nine dollars all the way up to the ridiculous seventeen thousand dollars for the gold versions our test unit was a 42 millimeter stainless steel model with a black sport band it measured 42 millimeters high just under 36 millimeters wide and 10 and a half millimeters thick it weighs a very light 50 grams now the front panel on this model is made from sapphire crystal compared to ionics glass on the aluminum bodied sport model along the right edge there's a digital crown and side button on the back are the lenses for the heart rate sensor along the edge here we find the speaker and microphone there are also release buttons for the band and a diagnostic port is hidden behind a small metal panel which is visible only when you remove the band now that we've looked at the outside of the Apple watch let's get to the fun part and crack it open to get inside the Apple watch we need to remove the display so using a microwavable heating pad or other heat source will warm the panel just enough to loosen the adhesive between it and the watch body then using a thin tool we'll gently pry up on the display working our way along the edges we'll be very careful here not to insert the tool too far and damage the thin cables to connect the display to the watch now to completely separate the display from the watch we'll need to remove a metal clip that covers the display cable connectors and then detach the cables we now have our first real look inside the Apple watch mounted along the top of the watch next to the digital crown is Apple's tactic engine which provides the haptic feedback you feel on your wrist hidden under the display contact is the speaker and along the bottom of the watch is the lithium-ion battery underneath all of these components is the Apple s1 package and the sensors for the heartrate monitor once it's disconnected we can remove the battery which is held in place with a tiny bit of adhesive now at this point I'm going to stop our teardown unfortunately many of the remaining components are both very fragile and glued to the watch body the risk of damaging them during removal is very hot and I want to put this watch back together in working order and even if I were to remove the side button contact digital crown encoder or the diagnostic port contacts we couldn't really see the brains of the watch the motherboard Apple's new s1 system in package or sip and most of the other ICS are encapsulated in a packaging compound which we really can't remove likewise sensors for the heart rate monitor are mounted under the s1 package and there's not a way to get to them without destroying the watch so what does our teardown tell us about Apple's new wearable well for starters it's a very well made device parts or machine well the joints are tied and it just feels very solid now second it's difficult but not impossible to get inside the case and some of the components such as the battery can be removed and replaced and I suspect it won't be long before cracked screens can be replaced at the Apple store on the flipside like most Apple products these days the watch wasn't made to be DIY serviceable and there's really no way to upgrade it when the new models come out next year if they do this one is just going to be outdated lastly Apple used a lot of cool tech inside the watch thanks to the analysis of companies such as chip works we know that there's a brand new STMicroelectronics 6 axis gyro scope in it there are also at least 30 components mounted to the s1 sip which measures a mere 26 millimeters by 28 millimeters and the entire s1 package is encapsulated which is also unique now I'm not sure I would consider this watch buying jewelry but it's definitely a fine piece of tech now for more information on the 2015 Apple watch including real world tests check out Scott Stein's full CNET review to see more tear down photos read my full Hardware analysis go to TechRepublic com4 slash