Apple explains why watchOS 27 drops support for five Apple Watch models including original Ultra

Apple Drops Support for Five Apple Watch Models in Unprecedented Move

Apple has revealed why watchOS 27 drops support for five Apple Watch models, marking an unprecedented shift in the company's update strategy. The Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2, and the original Apple Watch Ultra will not receive watchOS 27 when it launches this fall1

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. Speaking to TechRadar, Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health product marketing manager, said performance requirements were behind the cutoff: "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"2

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. This decision effectively ends support for three years' worth of devices in a single software update, a first for the product line.

Siri AI Assistant Drives Hardware Requirements

The new AI-driven features in watchOS 27, particularly the Siri AI assistant and tap gesture capabilities, work best with the processing power found in Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 34

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. David Clark, senior director of watchOS software engineering, explained that one of the goals was to "expand the intelligence story on Apple Watch and make it a true co-partner to Apple Intelligence"1

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. The hardware gap between supported and unsupported models centers on chip capabilities. Apple Watch Series 8 and the first-generation Ultra use the S8 chip with a 2-core Neural Engine, while the S9 chip introduced a 4-core Neural Engine that handles machine learning tasks up to twice as fast3

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Wearable Ecosystem Becomes Primary Interface for Siri

Clark described the Apple Watch as "the most convenient way to interact with Siri" since it's on the wrist all day and useful for quick questions when hands are full2

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. He used the example of asking Siri on Apple Watch for a recipe's ingredients while grocery shopping with both hands full, then later pulling up the same list on iPhone in an easier-to-read format. "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," Clark said1

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. This cross-device handoff represents what he called a "superpower" in the wearable ecosystem.

Technical Explanations Remain Incomplete

Despite Apple's statements, questions remain about the technical justification. Siri AI on watchOS 27 requires both a supported Apple Watch and a nearby Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, with the paired iPhone handling heavy computational needs3

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. This dependency makes the cutoff harder to evaluate, since the feature isn't presented as a standalone capability. While the S9 chip brought on-device Siri processing and support for the double tap gesture, Apple hasn't explicitly confirmed whether these capabilities are the reason older Apple Watch models are excluded3

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What This Means for Existing Users

Dooley clarified that older devices paired with iPhones running the latest software will continue to function and receive security updates2

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. However, users won't be able to access the new Siri AI assistant on their watch, even if their iPhone supports Apple Intelligence. watchOS 27 is currently available in developer beta to developers, with a public beta expected next month ahead of official release in the fall1

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. The announcement at WWDC 2026 introduced Siri AI as part of watchOS 27, but much time was given to iPhone, iPad and Mac implementations while the Apple Watch received less attention. Watch for how Apple addresses user concerns about this accelerated obsolescence pattern as the public beta approaches.