Apple Watch got its biggest software update in years with watchOS 27, but it’s skipping five models to get there.
If your watch isn’t on the compatibility list, Apple offers an explanation that may sound reasonable, but it doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.
So which Apple Watch models are missing out on watchOS 27?
Five of them: the Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, the SE 2, and even the first Apple Watch Ultra.
With watchOS 27, these models will receive only basic security updates and will not have access to the new Siri AI features or the new tap gesture. The models that make the cut are the Series 9 and later, the Ultra 2 and later, and the SE 3.
This feels odd, given Apple’s reputation of providing long-term software support for its devices, and folks over at TechRadar asked the company one of the most difficult questions.
They asked Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing Manager, why so many models were left behind with the watchOS 27 update.
Does your older Apple Watch still work with Siri AI at all?
“With every software release across every single one of our platforms, we always want to ensure that you have the best experience, so we make power and performance a priority,” Dooley responded.
She pointed out that the new Siri AI and tap gesture features “work best with the processing power” of the supported models. The executive didn’t mention this explicitly, but it sounds like Apple’s putting a Siri AI cutoff on the S9 chip.
If you own an incompatible model, there is one silver lining. Older Apple Watches can still pair with an iPhone that runs Siri AI. So, you can use your phone ƒto access Siri AI and watch others with a compatible model doing it on their wrist.