Apple’s WWDC 2026 announcements brought plenty of excitement but also an unwelcome surprise for a significant number of Apple Watch owners. The watchOS 27 supported devices list is shorter than many expected, and some relatively recent, expensive models have been left behind without a path to upgrade. Here’s everything you need to know about which watches make the cut and which don’t.
Which Apple Watches Are Being Cut Off
This change marks one of the biggest compatibility cuts in Apple Watch history, with devices released within just the last few years now ineligible for the latest software update.
watchOS 27 drops support for the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Series 6, 7, and 8. The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra is also off the list, with Apple effectively drawing a compatibility line at devices equipped with the S8 chip or older.
The original Apple Watch Ultra’s exclusion is particularly likely to sting. Spending $799 or more on a premium device that receives only four years of major software support will strike many buyers as a poor return on investment and could push some customers toward competitors like Garmin.
There was also a brief moment of confusion around the Series 9. When Apple first published its compatibility list, the Apple Watch Series 9 was missing, leading many users to assume it had been dropped. Apple later confirmed the omission was a mistake and updated its website to include the Series 9 among supported models.
Which Apple Watches Will Get watchOS 27
With that correction in place, watchOS 27 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Ultra 3, and the latest Apple Watch SE (3rd generation).
Apple Intelligence features within watchOS 27 will be limited to Apple Watch Series 10 and newer models, meaning Series 9 owners will receive the core update but miss out on the more advanced AI-driven capabilities.
To install watchOS 27 at all, users will also need an iPhone 11 or later or an iPhone SE 2nd generation or newer running iOS 27.
What About iPads?
The iPad story at WWDC 2026 was similarly mixed. iPadOS 27 will not come to some older iPads, including the iPad mini 5th generation, iPad 8th generation, the 1st generation iPad Pro 11-inch, and the iPad Air 3rd generation.
The update supports the iPad mini 6th generation and newer, including the iPad mini with A17 Pro chip, as well as the iPad 9th generation and later, iPad with A16, and iPad Air 4th generation and newer running M2 chips or above.
As with the Apple Watch, the most powerful Apple Intelligence features on iPadOS 27 will be restricted to devices with an M4 chip and at least 12GB of system memory.
What watchOS 27 Actually Brings
For those whose devices do make the cut, watchOS 27 introduces Siri AI support, a revamped dynamic App Grid, a new hand gesture for launching the Smart Stack widget, a more intuitive Find My app, and new health insights including improvements to Cycle Tracking and Workout Buddy.
Spanish support for Workout Buddy is also part of the update, expanding the feature’s language availability for the first time.
As with all WWDC beta releases, the stable version of watchOS 27 is expected to roll out to compatible devices this autumn as a free update. If you’re unsure whether your device qualifies, Apple’s official watchOS compatibility page is the most reliable place to check particularly given the Series 9 listing error that briefly caused confusion at launch.
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