Apple confirmed on June 19 that five Apple Watch models will not receive the watchOS 27 update, ending software support for devices between two and six years old. The Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE will each stop receiving watchOS updates and receive only basic security patches going forward.
The reason Apple gave is the new Siri AI capabilities in watchOS 27. The update introduces AI-powered Siri features and a new touch gesture system that require more processing power and memory than the excluded models carry. Apple said these hardware requirements are only met by the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, Ultra 3, and the third-generation SE — the devices that will receive watchOS 27.
The exclusion of the Series 8 and first-generation Ultra is the part that will sting for some owners. Both were sold within the past four years. An Apple Watch purchased for several hundred dollars in 2022 will not receive the update Apple is positioning as the platform’s most significant release in years. That is a faster obsolescence timeline than many owners anticipated at the point of purchase.
Apple initially omitted the Series 9 from its compatibility list in what the company later described as a publishing error. It confirmed to 9to5Mac on June 19 that the Series 9 will receive watchOS 27, removing the three-year-old device from the exclusion list and setting the effective cutoff at the Series 8 generation.
For owners of the excluded models, the practical impact depends on usage. watchOS 27’s AI Siri handles complex health queries and multi-step reminders with natural language. The touch gesture replaces certain display interactions. Both will be unavailable to the five excluded watches. The rest of the update — health tracking, workout features, app updates — will continue on those devices through whatever software version they currently run.
Apple’s standard trade-in programme is available to owners who want to upgrade. Excluded models currently carry trade-in values between twenty and ninety dollars depending on condition and configuration, which is modest against the cost of replacing them with a current model that will receive watchOS 27.
The full compatibility list is on the Apple website. More on Apple software updates and device compatibility is in our tech section. Our coverage of Apple Watch Series 12 and the September hardware launch covers what comes next. The Apple Intelligence and AI features coming to Apple devices are in our AI coverage.
