Apple has explained why it will surprisingly drop support for three years worth of Apple Watch models when watchOS 27 arrives later this year. The answer probably won’t surprise you either.
The Apple Watch SE 2 Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, and even the first generation Apple Watch Ultra will not receive access to watchOS 27 later this year. Historical precedent has seen Apple work to support as many legacy models as possible and, at most, drop one generation from the line-up if deemed absolutely necessary.
That changes this year in a significant way and Apple has explained why so many models are being cut from the team. The primary reason appears to be the need for processing power to accommodate Siri AI.
In an interview with TechRadar, Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health product marketing manager, explains: “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. The great new features in watchOS, including the capabilities of Siri AI and the new tap gesture, work best with the processing power that is in Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3.”
Furthermore, her colleague David Clark, senior director of watchOS software engineering, explains more about the desire for Siri to be a true companion on the Apple Watch.
He said: “We really wanted to make sure the Siri experience is a singular and consistent experience, whether I decide to ask Siri on my wrist a question, or whether I have my phone in my hand and I decide to interact with Siri there. We really wanted to feel like it’s one Siri, that has access to your data and is able to personalize it in a consistent way.”
Whether Apple Watch owners who purchased an Apple Watch 8 three years ago when it was still the flagship model will be happy enough with that explanation remains to be seen. Still, it doesn’t feel quite right does it?
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