Apple Watch Teardown | Hacker News Reader

Apple Watch Teardown

ifixit.com

77 pointsshawndumas19 comments

Mandatory: the other Apple Watch. (Posted on April 1st. Title of the page was changed only a few days ago.)

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Teardown/38659

I never cease to be amazed at Apple's willingness to pour custom details into their products' internals. Even though it looks like a luxury car engine, there's no way to just pop the hood. Most normal consumers will never see the black PCB in their MacBooks or the tiny imprint in the resin of the S1.

The classic mechanical watch is a beautiful object created carefully by mainly one person, while the Apple Watch is a craftsmanship on industrial scale. I think it's fascinating. A utilitarian object can also be a work of art.

Initially, the two look similiar, https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/5PKNgxhkWXHEC1Dd.h..., but as they tear in, I find the internals of the classic watch to be a lot more beautiful than the Apple Watch: https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/VSgtiKlDfQ4LTGLK.m...

True on the hardware level, but Apple Watch should be viewed as an integrated hardware AND software. I'd further argue that the software running the watch is actually comparable on craftsmanship level with the gears on mechanical watches.

> while the Apple Watch is a craftsmanship on industrial scale

I think it's a joke. Personally I am frustrated how Apple was so late to the game but nobody has levelled the same accusations at them as Samsung.

They're not late in the game. The Moto 360 came out just 7 months ago, and Engadget said "It's the best Android Wear watch, but that isn't saying much." It's not surprising that Apple took a few more months to come to market and delivered something significantly higher quality.

The game is just getting started.

The big news here is that they are not upgradeable like some had hoped.

Anyone hoping for upgradability from a company with Apple's track record is utterly naive. Great quality though, typing this on a MBP.

Or how about just anyone hoping for upgradability from a freaking watch?

i wonder how could someone spend money on the most expensives models then. i wished that could make a beautifull present, but now it would only be a stupid one.

Because expensive is relative.

Explain to someone in Bolivia why people spend $2 on a bottle of water.

in 1st world countries, I would like this to be explained too, especially people drinking at their homes

I know ;)

The expensive models are meant to be luxury purchases, not utilitarian. Geeks like us, by and large, have no experience in understanding "luxury" purchases" (Why on earth do people 10s of thousands of dollars for handbags? https://www.google.com/search?q=%2420+000+handbag&oq=%2420%2...) , and the concept of a luxury purchase of something that is also technology, is basically an anathema to us.

If you're questioning how, you're not the target market.

Well, you can upgrade the strap (or change the core and keep the strap)

The size of those screws will forever amaze me.

You'll be flabbergasted when you see what a specialist micro-machining shop can produce. (I am!) Unfortunately there's only one picture on their website [1], but here's an example of a shop that produces really small bits.

[1] http://www.russellsymes.com.au/

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