16 Apple Devices Losing Software Support This Fall
▼ Summary
– Apple will end software support for 16 devices this fall across the Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV lines.
– watchOS 27 drops the Series 6, 7, 8, first-generation Ultra, and second-generation SE, requiring an S9 or S10 chip.
– iPadOS 27 cuts five models including the third-generation iPad Air and first-generation 11-inch iPad Pro, raising the minimum chip to A14 Bionic or M1.
– macOS 27 Golden Gate ends support for the last four Intel Macs, including the 2019 Mac Pro and 2020 iMac.
– tvOS 27 drops the Apple TV HD and first-generation Apple TV 4K, leaving only second- and third-generation 4K models supported.
Apple is preparing to cut software support for 16 devices across four product lines this fall, with the Apple Watch facing the most extensive removal of compatible models in its history.
The full scope of these changes emerged following the announcements of macOS 27 Golden Gate, iPadOS 27, tvOS 27, and watchOS 27 at this week’s WWDC. The one encouraging note is that iOS 27 keeps the same device support as iOS 26, meaning no iPhone models are being dropped. The same holds true for the HomePod.
The Apple Watch sees the most dramatic shift. watchOS 27 eliminates the Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE in a single update, requiring an S9 or S10 chip. For context, watchOS 26 had maintained support for the same lineup as watchOS 11, including the Series 6 and later, the SE (2nd generation) and later, and all Apple Watch Ultra models. Removing three launch generations at once marks the largest loss of latest-generation support the Apple Watch has ever experienced.
The iPad lineup also faces an unusually aggressive set of removals. iPadOS 27 raises the minimum requirement to the A14 Bionic chip or M1 chip, dropping five models that still run iPadOS 26: the iPad Air (3rd generation), the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), the iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation), the iPad (8th generation), and the iPad mini (5th generation). By comparison, iPadOS 26 cut only a single device from the iPadOS 18 list (the 7th generation iPad).
macOS 27 Golden Gate brings the era of Intel Macs to a definitive close. The four remaining Intel machines supported by macOS Tahoe are left behind this year: the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), the iMac (2020), and the Mac Pro (2019). Apple stated last year that macOS Tahoe would be the final release for pre-Apple silicon Macs, and macOS 27 makes that official.
The Apple TV also sees two models dropped with tvOS 27: the Apple TV HD from 2015 and the first-generation Apple TV 4K from 2017. Only the second and third-generation Apple TV 4K models will receive the update. The full list of devices losing support for the latest software this fall is as follows:
watchOS 27
- Apple Watch Series 6 (2020)
- Apple Watch Series 7 (2021)
- Apple Watch Series 8 (2022)
- Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation, 2022)
- Apple Watch SE (2nd generation, 2022)
iPadOS 27
- iPad Air (3rd generation, 2019)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation, 2018)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation, 2018)
- iPad (8th generation, 2020)
- iPad mini (5th generation, 2019)
macOS 27 Golden Gate
- MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
- iMac (2020)
- Mac Pro (2019)
tvOS 27
- Apple TV HD (2015)
- Apple TV 4K (1st generation, 2017)
Owners of affected devices are not entirely without options in the short term. Apple typically continues issuing security patches for the previous OS version for at least a year after it is superseded. However, for the latest features, newer hardware remains the only path forward. Apple’s new operating systems are expected to be released in September following a period of beta testing.
(Source: MacRumors)
