Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple announced a surprisingly restrictive compatibility list for watch OS 27 at WWDC 2026, dropping support for six previous models, including the Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, 9, SE 2, and the first-generation Ultra.
- The Apple Watch Series 9, launched in late 2023, is missing out after receiving only two major platform updates, even though its contemporary counterpart, the Ultra 2, made the cut.
- This unpredictable shift gives Samsung and Google the advantage. Samsung guarantees four years of major updates, while the Pixel Watch 2 is on track to match or outlast the Series 9.
Update, June 8, 2026 (04:56 PM ET): It appears that Apple’s compatibility list for watch OS 27 may not have been complete, as reports are beginning to surface on social media of Series 9 owners successfully installing the watch OS 27 beta. We have yet to spot Apple issuing any correction.
Original article, June 8, 2026 (04:09 PM ET): At WWDC 2026, Apple announced that even the iPhone 11 from 2019 is getting iOS 27, granting it seven years of major software updates, and putting Google and Samsung to shame. One would presume Apple would continue its streak across other parts of its ecosystem, but, shockingly, watch OS 27’s compatibility list makes Galaxy Watches and even Pixel Watches look much better in comparison.
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