After the guys at iFixit have already disassembled the 44mm Apple Watch Series 5, they wanted to take a look inside the smaller version – it seems to have a new battery design.
The Teardown of the Apple Watch Series 5 with 44mm revealed that the watch looks very similar to its predecessor from 2018. The discovery inside the smaller Apple Watch model was all the more surprising. According to iFixit, this version of the Series 5 has a completely new battery design with a new metal case. According to the investigation, the new design is generally more space-saving - which is why the 40mm version of the Series 5 has 10 percent more battery capacity than its predecessor. iFixit commented on this as follows:
"This new metal casing appears to be a more space-efficient method of sealing batteries. On the Apple Watch Series 5, the overall size of the battery compartment doesn't look like it has changed much, if at all. But Apple has managed to squeeze in 10 percent more battery capacity."
Screws instead of glue possible in the future
The new packaging for the battery is not only more space-saving but also more robust. According to iFixit, it is supposed to significantly strengthen the battery. The metal casing can actually protect the battery from accidental punctures during repairs. In addition, the change suggests that Apple would be able to attach the batteries to the device with screws instead of gluing them:
"Finally - and perhaps most importantly - a patent shows that Apple plans to use this metal casing to attach the battery to the device with screws, which would allow them to skip the repair-unfriendly adhesive (hopefully). Plus, they could achieve this without additional external mounts that would otherwise take up even more space." – according to iFixit.
It is unclear why Apple only equipped the 40mm version of the Apple Watch Series 5 with the new battery design - this may be some kind of test run. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)