Apple today explained why five Apple Watch models will not benefit from watchOS 27 and the new Siri AI features that come with it.
The Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2, and the original Apple Watch Ultra will not receive watchOS 27 and will only receive basic security updates moving forward. With this update, Apple effectively removes three years of device support in a single software update, which is unprecedented for the product line.
Talk to TechRadarCait Dooley, head of Apple Watch and Health product marketing, said performance requirements were behind the threshold:
With every software release on each of our platforms, we always want to ensure you get the best experience, which is why we make power and performance a priority. Great new watchOS features, including Siri AI capabilities and the new tap gesture, work best with the processing power of Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3.
Dooley added that older watches paired with an iPhone running the latest software will continue to work and continue to receive security updates.
David Clark, senior director of watchOS software engineering, said one of the goals of watchOS 27 was to “expand the story of intelligence on Apple Watch and make it a true co-partner of Apple Intelligence.” He described the watch as often being “the most convenient way to interact with Siri”, since it’s on your wrist all day and useful for quick questions when hands are full:
We really wanted to make sure that the Siri experience was a singular, consistent experience, whether I decided to ask Siri a question on my wrist, or whether I had my phone in my hand and decided to interact with Siri there. We really wanted to feel like it’s one Siri, one that has access to your data and is able to customize it in a consistent way.
Clark used the example of asking Siri on Apple Watch for the ingredients of a recipe while grocery shopping with both hands full, then later displaying the same list on the iPhone in an easier-to-read format. He called this transfer a “superpower”.
watchOS 27 is currently available in developer beta, with a public beta expected next month before the official release in the fall.
