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Apple Explains Why watchOS 27 Drops Support for So Many Models

TechieGeek said:
I wonder if he's aware that Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 are the same hardware except for the screen brightness, or if he's unaware and reading the sentences Comms gave him
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Well, except one supports on-device Siri and one does not.

CPU-wise they are definitely NOT the same hardware. The Ultra had the series 8 cpu and the Ultra 2 had the series 9 cpu which actually DID get a significant speed boost.
 
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"We really wanted to make sure the Siri experience is a singular and consistent experience, whether I decide to ask Siri on my wrist a question, or whether I have my phone in my hand and I decide to interact with Siri there. We really wanted to feel like it's one Siri, that has access to your data and is able to personalize it in a consistent way.
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Well, I will definitely have two Siris with Ultra1 26 and iPhonePro 15 27.

Oh, wait. 🤔🙄

No, I will have one Siri anyway because Apple in the EU won’t give me the other one. 🥳 I am such a lucky b*******. 😊

IMG_1266.gif
 
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I use Siri on my UW1 to verbally set timers when cooking. It works great. All watch features that I actually use work great and I really like my watch because of that. Don't care about the new features if I have to buy a (expensive) new watch to access them. So I plan to use my UW1 until it no longer works. I have three wristbands for it.
 
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"processing power that is in Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3.”

My wife has an SE 2 and if that’s true, I’m good with this decision because I know there’s nothing worse than a laggy watch, so I’m relieved. It’s still getting security updates just like any old iPhone.

I knew from the 18-hour battery life that you can’t expect the world from them. I came from a Fitbit with a 6-day battery, but it was laggy as hell and overpriced.

Don’t spend too much money on smartwatches.
 
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Doesn't really make a lot of sense because on device Siri in the S9 and later (rebranded) chips still won't support Apple Intelligence. If there is any Apple Intelligence features for the watches, they will likely require connection to an Apple Intelligence iPhone. In which case, cut off all these models? On device Siri was always just about faster processing rather than features working or not working.

Also, a lot of iPhones don't support any Apple Intelligence features, but are not being cut off from OS 27 support...

TVreporter said:
That's a long-winded, polite way of saying "please buy a new watch."
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My guess is that there is a real danger that the Apple Watch sales stagnate or even decline going forward. I'm guessing there are a large number of people on Series 7, 8 and Ultra Watches that have seen support cut a lot sooner than they were expecting and are now wondering whether paying $400+ for a new watch every 3-4 years when there are no new features coming is worth it vs a smart ring or smart band and the ability to wear an classic watch or go watchless.

I don't really have an interest in this fight as I have a Series 9, but I'm stuggling to understand the business case for this given the risk of antagonising a lot of customers.
 
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Honestly, if you are like me and only want the occasional notification on a watch (I don’t care so mich about actively interacting with the watch since I have the phone), Garmin models offer more detailed health and activity tracking with mich better battery life for the same or less money. My 6 year old Garmin vivoactive is all scuffed and scratched up because I’m a klutz who constantly bangs it into things, but still going strong with a charge lasting for days.
 
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We really wanted to make sure the Siri experience is a singular and consistent experience, whether I decide to ask Siri on my wrist a question, or whether I have my phone in my hand and I decide to interact with Siri there. We really wanted to feel like it's one Siri, that has access to your data and is able to personalize it in a consistent way.
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This is a crock of dookie. There are already two Siris for those with apple intelligence devices and those without: the orb and the rainbow rim.
 
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I think this it’s absolute bologna. 26 was garbage, and I was FIRCED to use it, or have a non-working watch. Now I have a 3 year old ultra watch which will probably get bricked the same way it did a month ago.

This company destroys my confidence in getting premium Apple products. I don’t care AT ALL if I get intelligence on my watch. I want CONTINUOUS SUPPORT FOR A PRODUCT THAT IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD.

What’s wrong with you guys? How can this actually be justified? I have told many people to get Apple Watches to get +10 years of support. Now you are just making me look like an idiot, and bricking a product that’s 3 years old (bought new too).
 
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bpb said:
They're not only supporting it for 3 years. There will be more than a few years of security updates.

I just don't understand this "If I can't run the very latest software the device is obsolete" thinking.
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I agree, but the issue is that some OS updates have lower quality and UX degradation, and Apple doesn’t allow you to downgrade to a previous version (only on Macs), or if you didn’t upgrade doesn’t typically provide security updates for it, so it’s frustrating when the last supported OS version you’re stuck on is one of those bad ones. In some cases Apple also requires you to run the latest supported version on all devices for continued interoperability. It’s the fact that Apple is so inflexible with OS versions that is causing issues.
 
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Yet again, Apple selling ***** updates fr the last few years then realising they are so far behind the times, the hardware can't perform. This sickens me with Apple. Their main focus was hardware with eh added advantage of owning the software that powered the device in a closed network of partners. Apple is responsible for the most lacklustre improvements to any of their devices recently. Before you start, not an Android user and never will be but it's about time we started seeing some leaps forward. This blasted 'notch'? WTF? Why is it still there and why is there now talk of it becoming a dynamic island? Give us the screen back - it's annoying!

iOS - the widgets keep disappearing each time an app updates
watchOS - I have to close every app and sometimes wait 10 minutes to restart my Ultra 1 because preside the dedicated button (to make it easier to start a workout) fails
macOS - don't get me started, sick of reinstalling to get rid of bugs
iPadOS - okay but it's not perfect

Used to updgrade every device every year but the last 4 years have been awful. Hopefully now, we'll start to see better tech now Apple realised they missed the boat with AI.
 
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crsh1976 said:
The whole AI assistant narrative to justify dropping older models makes me wonder why there isn't an update without these features that not everyone wants/cares about.

It feels a lot like arbitrary forced obsolescence.
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I wonder the same. My iPhone 14 Pro will happily upgrade to iOS 27 despite not being able to use ANY of the AI stuff Apple has been peddling. Why can't my AW7 do the same with watchOS 27?
 
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Leobreaker said:
Sorry, I just don't believe it. My wife's SE 2 hardware is operating perfectly fine, while the software could use some bug fixes/tweaks and just have Siri AI disabled. It's quite certainly to push sales of a stagnant product line.
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That really isn’t Apple’s MO though. I think they got caught flat-footed by all the AI stuff and ended up having to sunset a bunch of models sooner than they originally planned to. They’ve always been conservative when it comes to the Series S processors and it’s finally caught up with them.
 
They sold Watch models with these chips as late as September 2025 (SE 2). There's absolutely no excuse. Either they ****ed up by not making watchOS 27 compatible with these not-so-old models, or they ****ed up by using the same hardware across three main generations of Apple Watch.

The whole Siri AI integration in watchOS 27 doesn't seem to be much more than a proxy for the iPhone anyway.
 
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dmccombs said:
some "major" features only work on watches up to ~3 years old now.
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Didn't this recent batch of Watches get 4-6 years, not 3? I need to double check that.
Also the precedent is as little as 3 years, not up to 3 years. Precedent is up to 6 years. But that minimum 3 year precedent was actually set with the first Apple Watch (but I believe that was the only one).

Right, so I double checked and the Ultra 1 and Series 8 (both released in Sept 2022) will have gotten 4 years of major updates by the time watchOS 27 (non-beta) releases. FYI S1 and S2 also got 4 years.
 
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So, translating from marketoid speak, they decided to drop support for the older models because they made an intentional decision and product change that would exclude older models.

Be honest people.
 
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