I cannot believe my $800 AWU1 is not supported anymore. We got iOS27 on the iPhone 11, but not a watch from 4 years ago? Ridiculous.
Apple Watch Ultra 1 not supported on watchOS27
- Thread starter ThatTechyGuy
- Start date
My Apple Watch Ultra2 is currently on watchOS 27 beta. Mine will probably lose support next year.
Bkdodger81
Well-Known Member
Gemini came back with this reply
The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra was dropped from the watchOS 27 update lineup due to performance and hardware constraints tied to system architecture and processing power.
Apple's explanation and the primary technical factors behind the cutoff include:
1. Lack of a Dedicated Neural Engine (S8 Chip Architecture)
The original Apple Watch Ultra uses Apple’s S8 System-in-Package (SiP). While the S8 was packaged in 2022, its central processing architecture was functionally derived from the older S6 chip. Crucially, it lacks the upgraded 4-core Neural Engine introduced in the S9 chip (found in the Ultra 2 and Series 9 onward).
2. On-Device Siri AI Integration
watchOS 27 places heavy reliance on on-device Siri AI processing, machine learning models, and complex gesture controls (like double-tap execution) integrated directly into the OS. Apple stated that delivering a unified, low-latency Siri experience required the hardware processing power and neural cores present only in the S9 generation and later.
3. Apple's Official Stance
According to Apple product marketing, the decision came down to maintaining performance standards across supported devices:
The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra was dropped from the watchOS 27 update lineup due to performance and hardware constraints tied to system architecture and processing power.
Apple's explanation and the primary technical factors behind the cutoff include:
1. Lack of a Dedicated Neural Engine (S8 Chip Architecture)
The original Apple Watch Ultra uses Apple’s S8 System-in-Package (SiP). While the S8 was packaged in 2022, its central processing architecture was functionally derived from the older S6 chip. Crucially, it lacks the upgraded 4-core Neural Engine introduced in the S9 chip (found in the Ultra 2 and Series 9 onward).
2. On-Device Siri AI Integration
watchOS 27 places heavy reliance on on-device Siri AI processing, machine learning models, and complex gesture controls (like double-tap execution) integrated directly into the OS. Apple stated that delivering a unified, low-latency Siri experience required the hardware processing power and neural cores present only in the S9 generation and later.
3. Apple's Official Stance
According to Apple product marketing, the decision came down to maintaining performance standards across supported devices:
