Today I’m going to replace the screen and the battery in my Apple watch. This particular
model is the sport edition 38 millimeter, but the process will be similar for all of
the Apple watches. For this project I’m going to use a sturdy pry tool that you can
find in the link in the video description. You’ll see why you need something sturdy
later on in this video. Removing the bands is easy enough. Just take the tool, press
the back buttons and slide off the bands. I will link replacement bands in the video
description as well. Make sure the device is turned off. There are no external screws
for this watch so the screen itself needs to lift off. Using a heat gun I gently heat
the watch up until it’s too hot to touch. And then I take my razor blade and slide it
between the metal frame of the watch and the screen, making sure not to go too deep inside
of the device. You’ll see why in just a second. Just stay along the outer lip of the
screen and the metal frame of the watch and we should be okay. Make sure not to put too
much pressure on the screen itself especially with the higher end Apple watches using the
sapphire glass. Sapphire glass is super brittle and will shatter with too much pressure in
one place. As I do this I’m making sure not to damage to adhesive so I can reuse it
later. Now that the screen is a little bit separated from the device, I can take my plastic
pry tool and slide it between the glass and the metal frame. This is a little bit safer
than using a metal object. And now I can get a glimpse into the inside of the device. This
little metal cover over the screen connections is a super huge pain. The latch does not want
to come off but with a little persuading down by the little tip towards the bottom of the
watch, you can get it to eventually separate. The little screen ribbon cables underneath
the latch can also be snapped off using the same plastic pry tool. They are very similar
to little Lego pieces. Try not to kink or bend the ribbon cables too much because they
are pretty fragile. So here’s the screen for the Apple watch sport edition. The sport
edition is made of ion x glass. The more expensive Apple watches have the sapphire glass which
ranks at about a 9 on Mohs scales of hardness. Ion x glass sits at about a 7 or 8 on that
scale. Still very scratch resistant, but not as brittle as sapphire, which is a good quality
on a sport watch. Remember when I said not to slip your razor into the watch too far?
There are a ton of ribbon cables right there next to the edge of the screen that can be
sliced. So watch out for them. If I can find replacement parts for this watch I will link
them in the video description. If there are none linked in the description, you might
just have to buy another broken or locked watch and Frankenstein them together to make
one working unit. Here’s where the durable pry tool comes into play. The battery is glued
down to the back of the watch so you have to pry it out and unclip it from the watch
body. It is a 205 milliamp battery. I reference the Android smart watch, the Moto 360; it
has a 300 milliamp battery. You can see the taptic motor here. This is what you feel vibrating
on your wrist when you get notifications. And is actually surprisingly strong. Instead
of a rotating motor like you see in most smart phones, this one pulses back and forth to
get a stronger buzz. Clipping the battery back into place is relatively easy. The watch
side of the connector just folds up to allow you to pinch the battery back onto it. And
the whole contraption just folds back into the watch like some kind of origami masterpiece.
Clipping the screen ribbons back down is a lot harder. The Lego connections are itty
bitty and you have to get them just right for it to click into place. I’m going to
test the screen before I put the little metal latch back on so I don’t waste time with
that tiny little thing. And the screen works great so it is time for the latch, making
sure to turn it off again before I slip the metal object back inside the electronic device.
It is a nightmare, but with just the right placement and the right amount of force I
can get it to click back into place again. I personally am just going to use the same
adhesive that was already in to watch to put back down the screen. But you can always use
a strong, thin double sided tape as well if you’re worried about it coming loose. I
will link that in the video description as well. The screen does snap down when you press
it into place so I’m not too worried about it coming off. And it works! The watch bands
click back into place as well and we are set. Follow my Instagram if you’re bored. I promise
I keep things interesting. Here are a few of my other tear down videos as well. Thanks
a ton for watching and I’ll see you in the next video!