Apple ceases support for numerous Apple Watch and iPad models in recent OS updates.

If you’re rocking a modern Apple Watch or iPad, you’re in luck, because watchOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are only compatible with the latest devices. Apple has a history of phasing out older models with each new software update, and this year, the cut is deeper than ever.

For watchOS 27, Apple is leaving behind four generations of Apple Watch models. The latest update will only be available for the Apple Watch Series 10 and newer, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and newer, and the Apple Watch SE 3. So, if you own a nearly three-year-old Apple Watch Series 9, you’re out of luck. Similarly, if you bought the original Apple Watch Ultra in 2022, you won’t be getting the watchOS 27 update this fall.

This decision to drop support for older Apple Watch models is unexpected, especially since users typically don’t upgrade their watches as frequently as their iPhones. Last year’s watchOS 26 supported the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, along with the second-generation Apple Watch SE and all Apple Watch Ultra models, mirroring the device list from watchOS 11.

On the iPad front, iPadOS 27 is cutting support for third-generation iPad Air models and eighth-generation standard iPads. If you own an iPad Pro, you’ll need at least a fourth-generation 12.9-inch model or a second-generation 11-inch model to get the update.

Both watchOS 27 and iPadOS 27 feature an enhanced version of Siri, now called Siri AI. This could explain why watchOS 27 is limited to models that support Apple Intelligence. Interestingly, Apple is still supporting the iPhone 11 with iOS 27 later this year, meaning a device from 2019 will receive the latest updates, while a watch from 2022 will not. It’s a puzzling situation.

Correction, June 8th: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated which iPads would receive iPadOS 27. The fourth-generation (A14) and fifth-generation (M1) iPad Air are supported, not unsupported.