The Apple Watch Ultra (first generation) will not run watchOS 27. Apple confirmed the cutoff this summer, and the update shipped this month alongside iOS 27, locking Ultra 1 owners out of Siri AI and every other new feature for good.
Apple drew the compatibility line at the S9 chip. Only the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE (third generation) get watchOS 27. Everything older stays on watchOS 26 permanently.
Five Apple Watch Models Got Cut in a Single Update
watchOS 26 matched watchOS 11 for compatibility. It supported the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, the Apple Watch SE (second generation) and later, and every Apple Watch Ultra model ever made.
watchOS 27 breaks that pattern completely. Apple dropped three years of hardware in one release, the biggest single cut the platform has ever seen.
| Gets watchOS 27 | Does Not Get watchOS 27 |
|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 9 | Apple Watch Series 6 |
| Apple Watch Series 10 | Apple Watch Series 7 |
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Apple Watch Series 8 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | Apple Watch Ultra (first generation) |
| Apple Watch Ultra 3 | Apple Watch SE (second generation) |
| Apple Watch SE (third generation) |
The Apple Watch Ultra (first generation) launched in September 2022 for $799. It stayed Apple’s flagship rugged watch for exactly one year before the Apple Watch Ultra 2 took over.
Apple Says the S9 Chip Is the Real Requirement
Cait Dooley, Apple Watch and Health product marketing manager, said performance drove the decision. She told TechRadar that Siri AI and the new tap gesture need the processing power found in the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE (third generation).
David Clark, senior director of watchOS software engineering, framed the update as an attempt to make the Apple Watch a full partner to Apple Intelligence rather than a secondary screen. He wants Siri to feel identical whether someone talks to it on their wrist or on their iPhone, down to handing off a task like pulling up a shopping list.
Older Watches Keep Working Without New Features
Nothing stops working on the Apple Watch Ultra (first generation) once watchOS 27 arrives. Apple confirmed the older models will keep pairing with an iPhone running the latest software and will continue receiving security updates.
What they lose is everything new:
- Siri AI and the redesigned Siri experience
- The new tap gesture for hands-free control
- Any watchOS 27 interface or health feature tied to the S9 chip or later
Our Take
I get why Apple wants Siri to feel the same on the wrist and in the pocket. Cutting Apple Watch Series 6, 7, and 8 together tracks, since all three share the same silicon. The Apple Watch Ultra (first generation) shipped with the S8 chip, which is built on the same A13 architecture as the chips in the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, and Series 8. Sweeping the original Apple Watch Ultra into that same list is a tougher pill, given it sold for nearly triple the price of a base Apple Watch and is only four years old. Buyers paid a premium expecting a longer runway than that.
