Apple WatchOS 27 Compatibility Surprises with Limited Older Model Support

Many of the big headlines surrounding WWDC center on the latest and greatest developments for Apple's operating systems. The counterpoint to the hoopla over fresh versions of the software due out in the fall is the ever-shifting cutoff line for which older models of hardware won't support that new hotness. We already knew, for instance, that macOS 27 Golden Gate wouldn't be coming to Apple's Intel-powered laptops. However, it looks like there will be a few surprising exceptions for support when it comes to older generations of the Apple Watch. The list of models that will be compatible with watchOS 27 contains just five devices. The next update only will run on the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. The Apple Watch Series 9, which came out fairly recently in 2023, is not included in the list, though Apple has confirmed to Engadget it will be supported. That means the models dropped are the original Watch Ultra and the SE 2, which both debuted in 2022. This seems like a markedly different take than the company has toward iOS 27, which will be available on smartphones as far back as the iPhone 11 when it drops this fall. Given the emphasis placed on Siri in today's keynote, the reason for the reduced support might be related technical limitations surrounding new Apple Intelligence features, since those capabilities might have proved too taxing for even comparably recent models of smartwatch.