Siren Loudness: DC Rainmaker explained in his review that the efficacy of the siren (or alarm) was more due to the frequencies used, and the cadence between chirps than pure loudness.
And he went on to test it from the claimed 600 meters and found it easily audible, suggesting in good conditions it could be heard from even farther away.
Easy enough to test out the effectiveness - play some hide and seek in a national park, on a hiking trail, in the woods somewhere. The idea is that rescue would have some GPS coords right? And the alarm gets them the rest of the way?
If the alarm speaker has some water inside the sound will be super low. Water eject doesn’t work properly on that speaker so you have to wait around 12 hours until it dries.
Different perceptions. DC is outdoors often with an ear out for things on trails. Ifixit guy might be used to being indoors, top notch headphones on. I found the siren not only easy to detect at range but the pitch made direction easy to detect.
Its not about loudness. Its about the chirp and the specific sound it makes. Its more distinct especially when you are in the wilderness. Many people have tested it and have proved that it can easily be heard from far away
It was also a terribly dishonest trial of it. As soon as it begins to get louder, as it gets louder over time, he rushes to turn it off and slap a negative opinion on it. Sloppy.
@@DuridPid Right? It's easily noticable in the video that it gets way louder when the screen turns off, presumably to protect the wearers hearing while the watch is raised near their head. Smh.
It’s supposed to be a specific frequency that you only hear it from the distance while still not harming the user that is wearing the watch that is why sometimes you could hear wild animals when they’re miles away, and being next to them don’t sound much different. it is a certain frequency that echoes further than being pure loudness also when you are in the mountains or Forrest there will be wind currents that’ll push the sound to be further away.
I normally fully agree with your assessments, but I think you’ve been a bit unfair to Apple here. It’s a very compact device with a very high level of water resistance. I wouldn’t expect it to be as easy to repair as a phone or laptop. That clearly wasn’t the correct way to remove the screen either. I agree that I wouldn’t wear the watch climbing (I wouldn’t wear any watch climbing) but I think for the vast majority of applications the raised lip will protect the screen. Also, the siren has a distinctive sound and is as good as can be expected from a tiny speaker. Personally, I think this is the best piece of hardware Apple has released in years.
We try to be unbiased though I'm afraid this was my experience with this watch. There's a certain amount of marketing going on here on Apples part that borders on the dishonest and yet at other times they understate the engineering that went into the device just in case they get into trouble (the fine print on the 100m rating is interesting as an example - only guaranteed to a depth of 40m if I'm not mistaken). All in all, I respect your opinion but we've not tried to sell anything or sway any opinions on the device itself. Cracked screens aside, repairing a battery on this device while trying to save an already function screen will be difficult for the average person. Screen replacements on this device need practice to remove intact and it's simply not something people will risk with a screen that's likely to be expensive. -SM
@@iFixitYourself It's guaranteed to 100m, it's just that the depth limit for recreational diving is 40m, so the depth sensor and Oceanic+ app will only work down to that depth, anything more and it stays waterproof, but displays a 'deeper than 40m' message on the watch.
@@iFixitYourself that's only for the dive computer which is only certified for 40m. WR100 funnily does not mean actual 100m, this is the same for other highend watches like the Polar Grit X. It has WR100 but you are not allowed to use it for any diving it all. The AWU is actually the first smart watch at all that is officially certified for SCUBA diving and the inclusion of an acutal diving computer is freakin cool und currently unmatched.
@@iFixitYourself Thank you for your reply and I respect your opinion as well. Maybe we’re coming at this from different angles. I expect a phone or laptop to be user repairable but I actually don’t expect it with a watch. Maybe that’s because I’m coming from using mechanical diving watches which you’d never dream of trying to take apart yourself. As for Apple’s marketing, the only part I disagreed with was the footage of someone climbing as there is no way that wouldn’t destroy any watch. Apart from that I think what you get is pretty much what they advertise.
For it not to break, like our Guide Writer who expertly removed the glass on his device. Nice work Dominik :) www.ifixit.com/Guide/Opening+Procedure/153357
@@iFixitYourself you need to get someone that has the skills to be able to do this. Anyone can give tools to a intern and say try and open this Apple watch and if the screen breaks blame it on poor design.
@@goiterlanternbase I feel like we've already talked how Apple doesn't want repairable devices, hmmm, not suuure if that's a new thing or not.. hhmmmmm Oh wait.. 10 years ago it was the same just less "gotta break it more to repair it"
Also he need to use a heat gun against the glass for a few minutes, to make the glue to get softer and less adhesive, that is standard when removing the glass screen on iPhones.
The siren slowly gets louder and more annoying if you leave it on longer. Most reviewers haven't allowed it to get louder before letting us know how loud it gets lol
They did have a problem early on with their smoothing algorithms that resulted in bad tracks, but even worse distances particularly in the woods or other places with tough satellite reception. My Series 3 now has very good tracks, but still overestimates many distances. I think most of Apples’s recent watches are pretty much spot on. And I don’t think the problem was ever antennas.
Right? DC Rainmaker and The Quantified Scientist are probably the most thorough smartwatch testers on the internet and they gave really high scores for Apple Watch GPS and its sensors for accuracy.
Exactly, I've never had issues with the gps on the 3 Apple watches I've owned. Why do reviewers feel the need to make claims about a device without providing proof?
To be honest I’m amazed that it was made with this level of repairability. They could have just slathered it with glue and called it a day. It seems like they are making a visible effort to be more repairable. I’m actually liking this watch a lot. Thank you for the video. I think I’ll pick up the ultra AW and give it a go.
Based on my watches a majority of hits come from the side and if it falls directly down that lip will save both instances. So really direct impacts of something smaller than the face is the only thing left to worry about.
I have a Garmin Fenix and the lips aren't raised that much either. It isn't possible to make a watch that fully protect the screen from the front without blocking the screen lol
@@unvcht5046 at least it will last much longer and be useful in 10 years time, can't say the same for the smart watch. Let me borrow your smart watch and I'll film a video of myself throwing my G Shock and your smart watch at a wall and see which one survives 😎
i would expect better from ifixit to actually try and properly remove the screen rather than start prying till something breaks it’s ifixit supposed to be a resource for self repair hence “ifix it”
Not only that, but if your screen is broken anyway, replacing it looks easy. Replacing the battery alone looks unlikely, but at least you only have to remove the screen.
"There is a 170 degree danger" What do you want them to do? put steel on top of the screen? Its saphire glass, its the most durable only after a diamond on mohs hardness scale.
I feel like the amount of effort put into this teardown and video was about the same as Apple put into the Series 7 and 8 watches… aka NONE! Also considering you referenced the 8 teardown in this video, where is that video?! That one should have been out before the Ultra, considering that model released first for the public to purchase.
Anything after the series 7 watch and iPhone 12, requires at least 120c to loosen the glue. The upside is that these displays are quite resilient if handled properly. To open the watch i recommend a cut to size Dorco blade, 120c of heat and iso 99%. Screen refurbishment process looks identical to the series 7 were you don’t need to cut any glass or remove any frame to separate the glass. This is a win in my opinion.
About the Siren apparently the Apple Watch can detect if it’s indoors and won’t play the Siren as loud as it might outdoors maybe that’s why it sounded so weak
I would love to see iFixIt take apart a high end Swiss watch and assess its repairability. This is the kind of complexity which goes into these devices, but no-one has ever complained to the Swiss watch industry about repairability. We’re really coming at this with false expectations.
good point, these devices are crammed with so much tech and just because this guy is not skilled to properly open or repair this device, doesn't mean the manufacturer made a bad design.
Mechanical watches are harder to repair and service because most have some forty to seventy parts, but they aren't _so_ bad. I oiled the ETA 2892 movement of a Tag Heuer watch using tools I found at home (though the four Moebius oil types themselves were pretty expensive). Everything is predictable: all you do is unscrew and re-screw screws, remove, wash, lubricate & replace parts, and take a photo every now and again so you can remember where stuff goes. Smartwatches, which are really in a different class, have less tolerances from moving parts and generally less mechanical complexity. They should be easier to make repairable.
Samsung has made repairable watches sense apple started, not that hard, the screen is a different story on mostly everything, but getting inside to replace a disposable battery, because say it with me all batteries have an end of life, that's very important
The screen is actually quite tough from a straight on hit. It was smashed several times with a hammer and the desk underneath it broke before the screen did.
Pretty absurd for you to so casually discount the siren feature. If it's the last thing you do before passing out, activating that siren could definitely save your life if someone is trying to find your body buried under snow from an avalanche or while you're in a cave dying from dehydration.
true the guys are getting lazy, just gave some intern tools and said here try and open this best you can and then blames the design for being bad. didn't even go outside to test the siren, just making a video for the sake of it.
The siren is about location especially when incapacitated, and not able to call out on your own. Not only that but it's not supposed to be loud but rather heard from a long distance, different frequencies.
The siren has been tested from over 600 feet away by other tech RU-vidrs and they've shown that it's more than loud enough. I think iFixit needs to stick to taking things apart instead of analyzing the gadget's abilities.
yes true, was quite odd that the guy just sad indoors at a desk and didn't do a proper test before criticizing the feature. would not rely on this channel for proper reviews, there are many great channels that does thorough testing
1:44 in and I'm confused. Everyone I watched so far (random people I don't even follow that just seemed to test stuff well and unbiased) said the Siren was great and GPS has always been great. Dafuq.... Edit: A minute later: The lip is not great. What is going on here....
I dunno. I don't watch iFixit vids much anymore and it's been a minute. But this guy is highly entertaining and not afraid to express his immediate emotions during those exciting and often tribulating teardowns. He uttered and especially juicy, "I hate it" at some point and I guffawed. Nice work teardown originalists!
I think it's not the watch's fault you broke the screen. It clearly needs to be pulled out by suction cup first and then only cut out by plier. No wonder it cracked, you just tried to scrape it out of the casing.
Enough tests have been done to prove the only way you’ll need to replace the screen glass is if you’ve already beaten up the watch to the point the internal components are already ruined
I'm curious if the screen is *actually* sapphire crystal like Apple claims, or if it's some sort of hybrid glass like Ceramic Shield. If it is indeed sapphire, my guess would be that the raised lip is to prevent the sides of the crystal from being struck. My understanding is that sapphire is more scratch resistant, but also more brittle if struck the right way, like it has a sort of grain, perhaps? If it's hit against the grain it's more likely to be fine, but if it's hit with the grain, it could shatter? Not sure how accurate that is. I do want to thank you for disassembling this! Hopefully not many people attempt to disassemble this Apple Watch and try to swim with it afterwards. I was just in an Apple Store today to see how big the watch actually was and also to decide which band size I would need to get. Someone else that was looking sounded interested in disassembling it, I hope for the watch's sake that they don't swim with it should they attempt to dismantle it.
If you watch TechRax's video, it seems like it might be actual sapphire. It didn't scratch at all when shaken in a jar of nails and it took several hammer hits to shatter the screen.
As always, a special tool will be required to replace the screen. Something like a suction cup or device that holds with vacuum and a heat gun to soften the adhesive.
FYI The siren has two levels, one when you are indoors and one outdoors. The watch knows when you are outdoors by using the mics, and the sound level is adjusted. The bottom line is - when you really will need it, it will be loud, much louder for the indoor test in this video.
The Siren is very smart. It might not sound very loud in your studio but in the mountains with its high pitched sound, it’ll grab the attention of people far away. Maybe do a tiny bit of research before you knock it off as a gimmick.
Two comments : the siren gets louder when you cover the screen and the display turns off. Genius ! Also if you let the siren keep going it plays the SOS tones.
The whole process seemed like you didn’t like the watch from the beginning. Never use metal tools to pry screens or anything. 17 years experienced repair shop.
Speaker volume on AWU2 definately on the quiet side i even struggle to hear it when im running. Dont get started on NFC always being switch on. But it is a thing of beauty no doubt. ❤
Disappointed in the snarky negativity about anything that isn't android-enough to keep apple haters happy. Nice to see the insides of my new watch though, I am thrilled with my purchase!
This makes me excited, because the one worry about this watch was the seals. For dive computers, you need to service the seals every so often (I believe 6 months?) and these might seem serviceable. It’s pretty cool.
No you dont, depends on the model but you can do it when you replace the battery. This myth of dive watch/computer being hard to make was true 70 years ago, now its easy. The watch industry just want to use the idea for marketing.
Apple Watch Ultra no. 4000 was born: "Hello world. I can't wait for my new owner to pick me up" iFixit buys no. 4000 Apple Watch Ultra no. 4000: "Oh no, why me!?"
Like, I got respect for y'all iFixit...but some of your takes really miss the mark. Like the screen. "Glass" like this is, by far, most vulnerable to shatter when being impacted on the edge...which is completely protected here. Yes you can still shatter it with a direct front hit but that take a lot more impact force and if the impact is at any kind of angle at all or even perfectly flat on a flat surface, the frame is going to take some of the impact force. ...and what exactly do you think a few extra mm of uplift of the titanium border is going to do about smacking the face into the point of a jagged rock? Not a thing. Some types of abuse will break pretty much whatever device you're wearing. Also, the siren isn't primarily about decibels but what frequencies it uses and that the cadence and alterations to the pulses sound entirely out of place in nature.
@ifixit have you tried to tear down a Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire solar? That’s a very durable watch made of titanium as well and it has power glass and solar charging on the screen
As a Watchmaking apprentice I have mixed feelings on this watch. First off, you missed the 'small' O-Rings underneath the screws, one hamfisted genius at 9to5mac decided to have a crack at this before tucking their tail and in the process futzed them up. On my own watch I was able to easily place them back in their groove and put the screws back in, but obviously not everyone has my (limited-ish) knowledge. But again, as a watchmaker I very well know that it's possible to make a diving watch with an infinitely serviceable internal mechanism. In an alternate reality there's an Apple which has worked out how to make an Apple Watch Ultra where the whole thing is serviceable from the back and you just pop out the screen from the back, wouldn't have been that drastically different in design.
can you remove all material from the case other then titanium? i would like to blacken the titanium and it requires to quench it in oil and make it hot yellow multiple times..
You can't actually break the glass by hitting it to a rock. It is that solid. I have watched people literally hitting it with a rock, or slamming it into a rock, and there was no cracks even scratches. I was shocked.
the siren emits a frequency, not so much a sound. i guess you also havent seen all of the videos on the watches durability where that tiny lip pretty much saves the watch from everything
Good to see a teardown of the Ultra. I'd be interested to know what aspects of AWs Apple does actually "repair", because I've always thought their design made repair practically impossible.