Does the Apple Watch series 3 with GPS + cellular have nickel?

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Level 1

8 points

Does the Apple Watch series 3 with GPS + cellular have nickel?

I have a nickel allergy, and unfortunately my skin reacted to the trace amounts of nickel in the aluminum watch (series 2). I just noticed that the Apple Watch series 3 with GPS + cellular has a ceramic back instead of a composite back. Does anyone know if the ceramic back protects the skin from nickel?

I read through Apple's product description here: Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support but wasn't sure if the ceramic back protects people with nickel allergies.

Thanks!

WATCH SERIES 2(ALUM) 38MM (2ND GEN)

Posted on Aug 28, 2018 8:25 AM

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Answer 1

JimmyCMPIT

Level 7

29,223 points

Aug 28, 2018 8:31 AM in response to ilanarose

Handling Handle Apple Watch with care. Apple Watch cases are made of various materials that include the following:

Aluminum Apple Watch case—7000 series aluminum, Ion-X glass (strengthened glass), composite back (plastic)
Stainless Steel Apple Watch case—Stainless steel, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
Ceramic Apple Watch case—Ceramic, sapphire crystal, ceramic back
18-karat gold Apple Watch case—18-karat gold, sapphire crystal, ceramic back

https://help.apple.com/watch/#/apdcf2ff54e9

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Answer 2

ilanarose Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2018 11:25 AM in response to JimmyCMPIT

Thanks, but I've already read through the detailed descriptions of what's in the watch from this link: Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Repeated here:

What's in your Apple Watch

Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) (Stainless Steel), Apple Watch Series 2 (Stainless Steel), and Apple Watch (1st generation) (Stainless Steel): 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, and ceramic back
Apple Watch Series 3 Edition and Apple Watch Series 2 Edition: Ceramic case, sapphire crystal, and ceramic back
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) and Apple Watch Series 2 (Aluminum): 7000 series aluminum case, Ion-X glass, and ceramic back
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS), Apple Watch Series 1 (Aluminum), and Apple Watch Sport (1st generation): 7000 series aluminum case, Ion-X glass, and composite back
Apple Watch Edition (1st generation): 18-karat gold case, sapphire crystal, and ceramic back

My question is weather the ceramic back on the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) (Aluminum) prevents nickel from actually touching the skin.

Thanks!

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Answer 3

Branta_uk

Level 7

32,434 points

Aug 31, 2018 9:25 AM in response to ilanarose

It appears that any nickel used in manufacture of the watch is safely enclosed within the body and there is no risk of skin contact in normal use. The most likely place to find it would be the magnets for the charging cable, but these are safely hidden behind the ceramic or composite back panel.

There should not be any nickel in the main material of either the composite or ceramic backs and it is not a primary alloy element in the analysis for the 7000 family alloys used in the aluminum body, so you are starting to think about levels less than 0.1%, and possibly contaminants down to a few parts/million so it could vary from batch to batch. At that point nobody here can give you an answer, and even Apple might not have relevant data and be able to come up with a definitive answer.

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Does the Apple Watch series 3 with GPS + cellular have nickel?

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