Pebble smartwatch is almost impossible to repair, says disheartening iFixit teardown

If you’re one of the few lucky enough to score a Pebble smartwatch, here’s a piece of advice: Don’t try to crack it open.

Gadget teardown experts iFixit did so, and the results weren’t great: Instead of getting an unhindered view of the device’s innards, the team ended up busting up its screen.

Above: The Pebble’s display cracks under pressure.

“It is impossible to open the device without destroying it or at least compromising its waterproofing, making internal repairs infeasible,” iFixit says.

Like most devices these days, the Pebble is tightly designed and not meant to be opened. This means that a broken Pebble is essentially an unfixable Pebble, which means it’s a dead Pebble.

Elsewhere, iFixit praises the Pebble’s low power consumption, which decreases the need for charging, and, as a result increases its lifespan. Still, iFixit pegs the Pebble’s total battery lifetime at anywhere from six to 10 years, which means the Pebble probably won’t be a timepiece you pass on to your grandkids.

That’s an important detail, and for me throws some cold water on this brave, bold future of smartwatches. The watch is one of the most personal things someone can own, so it’s a bit disheartening to learn that longevity and repairability aren’t high on the priority list with the first batch of smartwatches. Then again, the industry is still young, and perhaps future, more expensive watches will outlast the average smartphone.

Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat