iFixit

Another component that’s bigger in the Series 6 is the Taptic Engine. This time around, it’s also made from 100 percent recycled rare earth metals and tungsten. In late 2019, Apple said it would start manufacturing the iPhone’s Taptic Engine from recycled components. One year later, it’s doing the same with the Apple Watch.   

The teardown also highlights the removal of Force Touch. We knew the feature was on its way out when Apple released the watchOS 7 beta in June, but iFixit’s teardown confirms the component that enabled the gesture is no longer present in the Apple Watch Series 6. From a repairability standpoint, iFixit notes the removal of Force Touch makes things easier. 

“We’re happy to see a fragile, damage-prone part retired, but sad to see the final nail in the coffin for Apple’s nifty pressure-sensitive display technology,” the company said. “We’re torn, but we’ll call this a win.”  

iFixit

The end result of all those tweaks is that the Series 6 is slightly thinner than the Series 5. It measures in at 10.4mm thick compared to the Series 5’s 10.74mm. As for that blood oxygen sensor Apple talked so much about, iFixit wasn’t actually able to take it apart. “Fused display on top, fused sensor array on the bottom. We’re not gonna find anything but broken pieces if we bust this apart.”