Lots of Apple Watches are about to lose support and Apple explains why that's happening

Millions of owners of Apple Watches could soon find themselves missing out on the latest support coming to the wearable.

Apple is preparing to launch watchOS 27 later this year, but several popular models won’t be getting the update.

The decision will be one of the biggest software support shake-ups in the history of the Apple Watch lineup and has left some users scratching their heads with confusion.

Now, the tech giant has explained exactly why it is ending support for so many devices at once.

What Apple says about the watchOS 27 update

Apple confirmed that the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, second-generation SE, and the original Apple Watch Ultra will not receive the watchOS 27 gadget update.

Instead, those devices will only continue to receive basic security updates.

That means owners of those watches will miss out on the biggest additions coming to the new operating system, including Siri AI and a new tap gesture feature.

According to Apple Watch and Health product marketing manager Cait Dooley, the decision came down to performance.

Speaking to TechRadar, Dooley explained that Apple prioritizes power and performance with every software release and said the new features work best with newer devices.

Dooley said: “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.”

Apple says watchOS 27 was designed around hardware found in the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the new SE 3.

Your Apple Watches aren’t becoming useless overnight

While the announcement has disappointed many users, especially owners of the original Apple Watch Ultra, Apple says the unsupported devices will continue working normally.

The watches will still pair with iPhones running iOS 27, continue tracking workouts, displaying notifications, and performing their usual day-to-day functions, they just simply won’t receive the new watchOS 27 features.

Dooley told TechRadar: “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.

“Older devices can still be paired with iPhones that are running the latest software and continue to receive security updates, so they can continue to have a great Apple Watch experience.”

The change is particularly notable because Apple is dropping support for multiple generations at once, something it has never done before with the Apple Watch lineup.

The company is effectively removing three years of device updates in a single software release.

For users with supported devices, watchOS 27 introduces a new Siri AI experience, an updated dynamic app grid, improved fitness tools, and a range of performance upgrades.

So while older Apple Watches aren’t heading for the bin just yet, their days of receiving major new features are officially coming to an end.