I’m a well-known grump when it comes to subscription apps, so when you find me endorsing a relatively expensive piece of hardware that requires an annual subscription for full functionality, then you know it has to be good. 2024 was a bit of an eventful year for me on the wearables front: after nine years of use, I ditched my Apple Watch in favor of dumb watches, and reinstated smart health and activity tracking by using the third-generation Oura Ring . I’ve recently upgraded to the latest 5th-gen model …
Apple's latest explanation for Siri AI on Apple Watch identifies which models support the feature, but it still doesn't explain why older watches are excluded despite requiring a nearby Apple Intelligence -enabled iPhone. Apple Watch Series 11 A June 19 interview with TechRadar offered Apple's first public response to questions about the cutoff. Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing Manager Cait Dooley said Siri AI and other watchOS 27 features work best on newer hardware. Apple specifically pointed to Apple Watch Series 9 and later models, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later models, and Apple Watch SE 3. WWDC 2026 introduced Siri AI as part of watchOS 27. The feature requires both a supported Apple Watch and a nearby Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, with support beginning on Apple Watch Series 9 . Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple today detailed why five Apple Watch models will miss out on watchOS 27 and the new Siri AI features that come with it. The Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2, and the original Apple Watch Ultra will not receive watchOS 27 , and will only get basic security updates going forward. With the update, Apple is effectively dropping three years' worth of device support in a single software update, which is unprecedented for the product line. Speaking to TechRadar , Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health product marketing manager, said performance requirements were behind the cutoff: 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. 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. Dooley added that older watches paired with an iPhone running the latest software will keep working and will continue to receive security updates. David Clark, senior director of watchOS software engineering, said one of the goals of ‌watchOS 27‌ was to "expand the intelligence story on Apple Watch and make it a true co-partner to Apple Intelligence ." He described the watch as often "the most convenient way to interact with ‌Siri‌," since it's on the wrist all day and useful for quick questions when hands are full: We really wanted to make sure the Siri experience is a singular and consistent experience, whether I decide to ask Siri on my wrist a question, or whether I have my phone in my hand and I decide to interact with Siri there. We really wanted to feel like it's one Siri, that has access to your data and is able to personalize it in a consistent way. Clark used the example of asking ‌Siri‌ on Apple Watch for a recipe's ingredients while grocery shopping with both hands full, then later pulling up the same list on the iPhone in an easier-to-read format. He called that handoff a "superpower." ‌watchOS 27‌ is currently available in beta to developers, with a public beta expected next month ahead of official release in the fall. Related Roundups: watchOS 26 , watchOS 27 Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, " Apple Explains Why watchOS 27 Drops Support for So Many Models " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
After a conflict between guards and farmers nearly ended in violence, Tata's Indian iPhone factory is now facing health authority accusations of contamination. Tata's iPhone component production facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India. Image Credit: Tata Early on June 15, 2026 , India's Tamil Nadu Pollution Board (TNPCB) was reportedly threatening to force a shutdown of Tata's iPhone plant. It followed a series of inspections that reportedly found contaminated wastewater had reached local wells. Tata was also accused of failing to respond to the TNPCB's complaints, but then on June 16 , the case was dropped. Tata said first that its independent study showed it was following regulations, and then that the India regulator had now "dropped any further course of action on this issue." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
