watchOS 11 Rumored to Drop Support for Apple Watch Series 4

[rforno]

I get the business case here for Apple -- but seriously, for a WATCH, they can't even support an older version's basic ability to even just show the current time and date?

My old Casio G-Shocks never had this problem. /ducks

 

[IceCool]

On the contrary it supports said argument, Windows has always surpassed MacOS in terms of years of updates and android has now surpassed iOS for updates.

Given the touted quality and longevity of Apple's hardware, one would expect more years of updates but going back to the planned obsolescence argument, it's clear Apple wants you to upgrade your device every few years - and why wouldn't they, they make their money on hardware, not software.

This does not support their argument. You just described competition, not planned obsolescence.

Android has not "surpassed" iOS for updates. Neither Samsung nor Google, the two claiming 7 years of support, have actually done it yet. On the flip side, Apple has several times. For example, consider the iPhone 5s, which released in Sept. 2013 and received its latest security patch in early 2023. And more recently, the iPhone X. On its 7th year: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214063.

We also don't know how well Samsung phones and Google phones will hold up as they reach the end of support, nor do we know if either company will backtrack or just end up providing an extra year or two of security updates to reach the 7 year mark.

 

[Motawa]

I get the business case here for Apple -- but seriously, for a WATCH, they can't even support an older version's basic ability to even just show the current time and date?

My old Casio G-Shocks never had this problem. /ducks

I got some news for you: The series 4 does NOT explode when watchOS 11 comes.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

As an owner of the Series 3, what am I missing with the newer models and software updates?

The S3 was the last of the painfully low powered watch SOC's. Going from an S3 to the S6 felt almost like when you're sick and the decongestant kicks in. A million little annoyances just evaporated.

 

[spazzcat]

I get the business case here for Apple -- but seriously, for a WATCH, they can't even support an older version's basic ability to even just show the current time and date?

My old Casio G-Shocks never had this problem. /ducks

The watch will still work; you are just not getting new software updates. Your g-Shocks never got a single update after you bought it ...

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

I cannot believe the S6 is almost 4 years old. I just had the battery serviced in my 6 and I feel like it is set for another 4 years.

 

[Mr. Heckles]

As an owner of the Series 3, what am I missing with the newer models and software updates?

Security updates….

kinda lame when my series 4 works perfectly still

It will be 6 years old when it stops getting updates. 6 years is ancient in technology terms.

 

[anthogag]

The natural upgrade is Series 4 to Watch Ultra.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Except that in this case, there is literally no other reason to drop Series 4 other than to get people to upgrade. Series 4 and Series 5 share the same SIP. Dropping Series 4 without dropping Series 5 can have no other reason than to try and get people to upgrade.

Yes there is… storage. The AW4 has the biggest bottleneck for the Apple Watch lineup and it was time to drop it last year so that WatchOS could get a more meaningful update.

 

[vondo]

Security updates….

Are you sure about that? I no longer have my S3, but I got rid of an iPad running iOS12 as the latest supported OS (Original Air I think). That was a year ago and it was still getting security updates.

Just because you don't get to upgrade to the latest OS doesn't mean you never get an update. You just get no new features.

 

[Remy149]

kinda lame when my series 4 works perfectly stil

Except that in this case, there is literally no other reason to drop Series 4 other than to get people to upgrade. Series 4 and Series 5 share the same SIP. Dropping Series 4 without dropping Series 5 can have no other reason than to try and get people to upgrade.

I doubt most people who are still using a series 4 6 years later are concerned about getting the latest os update. It’s not like the watches will suddenly stop working.

 

[nothingtoseehere]

My Series 4 is still working well. I'll probably still keep for the forseeable future.

Same with me.

 

[truthsteve]

On the contrary it supports said argument, Windows has always surpassed MacOS

lol this is hilariously wrong and a bad comparison.

 

[truthsteve]

Except that in this case, there is literally no other reason to drop Series 4 other than to get people to upgrade. Series 4 and Series 5 share the same SIP. Dropping Series 4 without dropping Series 5 can have no other reason than to try and get people to upgrade.

literally one reason: series 5 has double the storage.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

On the contrary it supports said argument, Windows has always surpassed MacOS in terms of years of updates and android has now surpassed iOS for updates.

Hmmm…
Windows 11 and macOS Ventura both supported the exact same hardware from my understanding, mostly because of Intel dropping drivers support for SkyLake and earlier chips in 2022.

Also, while Google and Samsung have *said* they will support some 2023 and 2024 devices for seven years of updates, that has not happened yet.
As it is, right now they’re just talking the talk, in seven years we will see if they have actually walked the walk.
Apple actually does have several devices that they have supported for 7+ years, including the 2007 iMac and MacBook Pros which went from from Tiger to El Capitan, which was 2007 to 2015+ until 2018 with security updates, for a total of 11 years.
The 2012 MacBook Pro, which received all the way from Lion to Big Sur, so again a total of 11 years of security updates.

The iPad Air2, which came out in 2014 running iOS 8.1 and went all the way to 15 and literally received a security update (15.8.2) literally last month.
And the iPhone 6S, which came out in 2015, went all the way to iOS 15 and again, received a security update just last month.

When they’re actually is an android phone that has received seven years of updates, that will actually mean something. Until then, as far as we know, it could just go to the land of decades and decades of google broken promises.

 

[Mr. Heckles]

Sounds about right squeezing you to purchase a newer Apple Watch🤔

6 years isn’t enough? 🙄

Are you sure about that? I no longer have my S3, but I got rid of an iPad running iOS12 as the latest supported OS (Original Air I think). That was a year ago and it was still getting security updates.

Just because you don't get to upgrade to the latest OS doesn't mean you never get an update. You just get no new features.

100% sure. The 3 got its last update with 8.1.1 that came out on June 21, 2023.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

The 3 got its last update with 8.1.1 that came out on June 21, 2023

And what an absolute PITA updating the S3 had become. un-pair, re-pair, update. Like an hour long process.

 

[FineWoven]

Sounds about right squeezing you to purchase a newer Apple Watch🤔

It's a 6 year-old model... Anyone should have upgraded by now anyway if they have hardware that old. To be honest I didn't think Apple even still supported this dinosaur. For context, this is probably just a year or two away from Apple starting the vintage/obsolete designation process in which their stores and authorized repair shops don't even support most repairs on it anymore.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

As an owner of the Series 3, what am I missing with the newer models and software updates?

The only reason I went from a 3 to a 7 was the ECG feature. If I hadn't kinda needed that, I wouldn't have done it. WatchOS 8 is actually nicer than 10.

 

[madebybela]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

Hmmm…
Windows 11 and macOS Ventura both supported the exact same hardware from my understanding, mostly because of Intel dropping drivers support for SkyLake and earlier chips in 2022.

Also, while Google and Samsung have *said* they will support some 2023 and 2024 devices for seven years of updates, that has not happened yet.
As it is, right now they’re just talking the talk, in seven years we will see if they have actually walked the walk.
Apple actually does have several devices that they have supported for 7+ years, including the 2007 iMac and MacBook Pros which went from from Tiger to El Capitan, which was 2007 to 2015+ until 2018 with security updates, for a total of 11 years.
The 2012 MacBook Pro, which received all the way from Lion to Big Sur, so again a total of 11 years of security updates.

The iPad Air2, which came out in 2014 running iOS 8.1 and went all the way to 15 and literally received a security update (15.8.2) literally last month.
And the iPhone 6S, which came out in 2015, went all the way to iOS 15 and again, received a security update just last month.

When they’re actually is an android phone that has received seven years of updates, that will actually mean something. Until then, as far as we know, it could just go to the land of decades and decades of google broken promises.

I'd only chime in to say that I have a custom PC I built with a Gen1 i7 in 2009, and it's still getting Win 10 updates. Obviously that will come to an end in Oct 2025, but 16 years is pretty great. Perhaps not exactly an apples to apples comparison, since there have been numerous GPU and SSD upgrades over the years which replaced old hardware that would absolutely be EoL/EoS years ago. That's just the difference between a modular and a fixed configuration.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

The natural upgrade is Series 4 to Watch Ultra.

Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.

That thing is HUGE. A friend has one, I tried it on. There's absolutely no way I'm wearing that.

Next time I'm going with the 41mm instead of the 45mm. The larger screen is nice, having something bigger and heavier on my wrist is not.

Yes, I know I'm the guy who complains ALL THE TIME about how the phones and laptops are too thin, and would be happier with an iPhone that's twice as thick with a quick-change battery, same with the laptops. But I don't have to wear those.

 

[citysnaps]

Makes sense.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

I'd only chime in to say that I have a custom PC I built with a Gen1 i7 in 2009, and it's still getting Win 10 updates. Obviously that will come to an end in Oct 2025, but 16 years is pretty great. Perhaps not exactly an apples to apples comparison, since there have been numerous GPU and SSD upgrades over the years which replaced old hardware that would absolutely be EoL/EoS years ago. That's just the difference between a modular and a fixed configuration.

The old GPU would still work, an old spinny platter drive would still work. It would just be slower.

And it's not like the Windoze 11 hardware 'requirements' are actually requirements, the bypass is easy. https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to+install+Windows+11+on+unsupported+devices/160527

There are even methods to install it if you don't have UEFI.

Or you could always upgrade it to Linux. Not relevant for your i7, but there are still plenty of 32-bit distros that support even older hardware: https://www.makeuseof.com/linux-distros-with-32-bit-support/

Planned obsolescence is disgusting.

 

[OscarMV]

They would have saved me a lot of grief if they had dropped support for Series 4 in Watch OS 10.

Watch became pretty much unusable since I upgraded last September.