I came here to say the Series 3 needs to die but you said the same thing much better lol
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Kuo: Apple Watch Series 3 May Finally Be Discontinued Upon Its Fifth Anniversary in Q3 2022
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Great example. Series 3 should have been replaced with Series 4 at least a year ago, probably 2.
It should have been discontinued 2 years ago. The fact that the GPS models are only 8GB is a big problem given that you couldn't even update them without unpairing and repairing first for a good period of time.
THE Apple Watch 3/iPad 2/iMac 21.5 1080P 5400RPM /Apple TV HD 2015/MacBook Air 2015/Mac mini 2014 STRATEGY! sell those slow, on the edge of not to be supported, old designs products years after/years until the REDESIGN !
this is literally a crime and offensive towards the non-tech consumer, I love apple to death, but they have dark sides.
this is literally a crime and offensive towards the non-tech consumer, I love apple to death, but they have dark sides.
Last edited:
If they are still selling it, it's got a life of 2-3 more years after due to updates and so forth. I'm fine with just security updates after they stop selling it too. It works for what I want, and the battery is still good just short of 3 years. I can't imagine they would end support right when they stop selling it, I can't think of a product where it didn't at least get some type of upgrade for a bit after.
Notwithstanding that we live in a society based on programmed obsolescence to garner further consumerism...
The AW S3 has served me very well, for the last 4+ years.
Bigger screen, more memory, faster chip might have some advantages for some.
That being said the S3 has the best battery life of all of its successors.
Apple should potentially concentrate some effort on improving that component - rather than adding more features which ultimately drain and compromise battery life
The AW S3 has served me very well, for the last 4+ years.
Bigger screen, more memory, faster chip might have some advantages for some.
That being said the S3 has the best battery life of all of its successors.
Apple should potentially concentrate some effort on improving that component - rather than adding more features which ultimately drain and compromise battery life
I was just thinking it! It's been supported for quite a while and should still get updates even if they stop selling it. That's a lifetime in Apple years.
At that point I would think the battery would be pretty far gone especially if you bought one close to launch. I would estimate it would have a 7 or 8 year live span at that point.
Although from a design perspective, a watch is something that should last, I would hope this product would in general be supported for a while considering its price point. You can buy a cheap Timex, Casio, or Shark Freestyle watch and that should last for 10+ years with nothing more than a battery change. And it never becomes obsolete!
This is what it takes for me to upgrade my ceramic S3. Red, blue, green, etc don’t do it for me. It’s gotta be that shiny+bright white, plus the weight of ceramic that gives it the substantial feeling. I wish Apple would sell their remaining inventory of S5 ceramic on their clearance site like they did with the original iPhone SE in Mar 2019. I’d pay full price.
Everyone needs to upgrade eventually. I over the weekend upgraded to the S7 from the S4 and am loving it.
Apple may finally discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3 when it reaches five years of age in the third quarter of 2022, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet, Kuo said that the Apple Watch Series 3 may reach the end of its life in the third quarter of 2022 because its computing power will not be able to meet the requirements of a new version of watchOS.
The Apple Watch Series 3 was released in September 2017, making it almost five years old. It is the oldest device to support the latest version of watchOS 8, but its S3 chip significantly lags behind the Apple Watch SE's S5 chip and Apple Watch Series 7's S7 chip in terms of performance. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also the only remaining Apple Watch to feature the older, thicker Apple Watch design with large bezels and angular corners around the display.
Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates last year, Apple Watch Series 3 users have to unpair and re-pair the device from its linked iPhone when updating watchOS because the Apple Watch does not have enough internal storage to complete an update independently.
At WWDC later this year, Apple is expected to unveil watchOS 9, which according to Kuo could finally drop support for the Series 3. watchOS 9 would therefore only be available for the Apple Watch Series 4 from 2018 or newer. While the unveiling of major new versions of Apple's operating systems usually takes place in early June, the updates themselves are not typically released to the public until the fall, which would coincide with Kuo's proposed timeframe and the launch of new Apple Watch models.
Little is currently known about what watchOS 9 may offer, but the second-generation Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 8 are expected to launch later this year, potentially including additional health features such as a body temperature sensor, faster chipsets, enhanced activity tracking, and an all-new "rugged" model.
Given the Apple Watch Series 3's age, design, S3 chip, limited storage space, and the extra step required to install software updates, it seems inevitable that Apple will discontinue it sooner rather than later, likely when new Apple Watch models are released later this year. Apple is still selling the Apple Watch Series 3 as a low-cost option for $199, but we do not recommend purchasing it over a $279 Apple Watch SE for these reasons.
Article Link: Kuo: Apple Watch Series 3 May Finally Be Discontinued Upon Its Fifth Anniversary in Q3 2022
16GB limited memory???? That’s huge for a watch. I just upgraded to the S7 from the S4 over the weekend. I could have lived with 16GB.
"Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates last year, Apple Watch Series 3 users have to unpair and re-pair the device from its linked iPhone when updating watchOS because the Apple Watch does not have enough internal storage to complete an update independently"
Nope, not here.
Nope, not here.
The Apple Watch Series 3 should’ve been discontinued a long time ago. Every review of it over the past year or two have ended with the conclusion/final verdict that you’ll be much better off getting the SE.
Not surprising since sometimes i have to unpair & re-pair my Series 3 to install updates, so its gonna happen eventually.
Ah well, i was planning to upgrade my watch next year anyways.
(Have had my Series 3 since 2019)
EDIT: Sounds like the need of unpairing my watch to install updates is fixed apparently?
Ah well, i was planning to upgrade my watch next year anyways.
(Have had my Series 3 since 2019)
EDIT: Sounds like the need of unpairing my watch to install updates is fixed apparently?
"Following the iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates last year, Apple Watch Series 3 users have to unpair and re-pair the device".
This issue has been fixed some versions ago so updating a Series 3 does not need unpairing anymore.
This issue has been fixed some versions ago so updating a Series 3 does not need unpairing anymore.
My major concern at this point, is when they switch the watchband port, which possibly could render previous watch bands obsolete. I know it’s a small monopoly now, but I think that change is coming in the future with profile design change of the chassis, and another way for Apple to promote more consumers to upgrade.
It’s time to upgrade apple wants you To upgrade stop fighting it
Last edited by a moderator:
I have the Series 7 SS and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Lol. That’s roughly $2,000 in cash Apple as gotten from me.
Last edited by a moderator:
being familiar with apple's obsoletion guidelines, I can pretty much guarantee that there is absolutely no chance that Watch S3 will be excluded from watchOS9 support. Never before, not even once in the history of the company has apple axed a device that they had been selling a couple of months ago. The question is, though, why do they keep selling it if it already struggles to keep up with wOS8 demands?
I'd like to remind you that the Series 4 uses more or less the same chip as Series 5 and SE. Even though it has a different branding, the chip in the newer models uses the same GPU and graphics as the S4. And I wouldn't call 16GB " limited memory"; given how little most people use AW's internal storage, I dare to say that it will be as enough in two years as it is today.