Apple is cutting five Apple Watch models in a single move this fall, the largest one-year purge in the product’s history.
The Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, the first-generation Ultra, and the second-generation SE all lose software support when watchOS 27 arrives in September.
If you paid $799 for that first Ultra in 2022, it will be frozen out of new software in roughly four years. That timeline should make any Apple Watch owner stop and think before their next purchase.
Your Device Might Be on the List
Sixteen Apple devices across four product categories hit the end of the update line this fall. Apple Watch takes the hardest hit by far, but iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs are also affected. Check the full list carefully before September arrives.
On the iPad side, five models get cut from iPadOS 27. The iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation), iPad (8th generation), and iPad mini (5th generation) will no longer receive updates.
For context, iPadOS 26 dropped only one iPad from the previous year’s list. This year, five disappear at once.
Intel Macs Reach a Hard Stop
Apple telegraphed this one a year ago, but macOS 27 Golden Gate makes it official. The last four Intel-based Macs still receiving updates get dropped entirely.
The MacBook Pro 16-inch from 2019, the MacBook Pro 13-inch from 2020 with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the 2020 iMac, and the 2019 Mac Pro all stop receiving macOS updates this fall. Apple Silicon is now the only architecture that moves forward.
Apple TV also sees two models cut. The original Apple TV HD from 2015 and the first-generation Apple TV 4K from 2017 both lose support for tvOS 27. Only the second and third-generation 4K models survive.
What Losing Support Actually Means for You
Losing software support does not mean your device stops working on day one. Apple typically continues to push security patches to the previous operating system version for roughly a year after it is replaced.
So a device cut from watchOS 27 will likely still receive some security fixes through 2027. After that window closes, though, unpatched vulnerabilities start to accumulate with no fix in sight.
New features stop immediately. Any watchOS 27, iPadOS 27, or macOS 27 capability that Apple announces between now and September simply will not appear on your device. Ever. Security patches buy time, but they do not unlock anything new.
The Apple Watch situation draws the most frustration because the hardware still functions perfectly.
A Series 8 purchased in 2022 for $399 loses software support after just four years of updates. The first-generation Ultra, a $799 flagship, faces the same timeline.
Android smartwatches from major manufacturers routinely receive at least four years of OS updates as a baseline promise.
Apple has never formally committed to a support window for Apple Watch, and this fall’s cuts show exactly what that silence means in practice.
The new OS releases are expected to land in September after a beta period running through the summer. If your device is on the list below, the clock is already running.
Full List of Devices Losing Support This Fall
watchOS 27: Apple Watch Series 6 (2020), Apple Watch Series 7 (2021), Apple Watch Series 8 (2022), Apple Watch Ultra 1st generation (2022), Apple Watch SE 2nd generation (2022)
iPadOS 27: iPad Air 3rd generation (2019), iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation (2018), iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation (2018), iPad 8th generation (2020), iPad mini 5th generation (2019)
macOS 27 Golden Gate: MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019), MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports), iMac (2020), Mac Pro (2019)
tvOS 27: Apple TV HD (2015), Apple TV 4K 1st generation (2017)
